Photo by Colin Medley
The first comparison that comes to mind when listening to Andy Shauf is an easy one. The Canadian singer-songwriter’s fuzzy acoustic guitar and penchant for delicate piano melodies instantly recalls Elliott Smith, but that’s not to say his songs don’t have their own distinct pleasures.
Take new single “The Worst in You”, for instance. The song is so pretty that it sounds almost fragile, with Shauf adopting a vocal tone that seems to oscillate freely between the two extremes of “happy” and “sad.” Shauf plays all of the instruments himself, interweaving them in a slightly whimsical melody that recalls ‘60s English baroque pop at its most charming.
According to Shauf, “The Worst in You” came together late in the recording of his new album, The Party. “I wrote it in about 10 minutes while I was stuck on another song,” he recalls. “It’s about a guy trying to find his girlfriend at a party, and about how easy it is to jump to negative conclusions.”
There’s no negative conclusions here, though, as “The Worst in You” is a enrapturing listen. Check it out below.
Shauf will release The Party via Anti- on May 20th. In support, he has a lengthy upcoming tour schedule, which you can see below.
Andy Shauf 2016 Tour Dates:
04/14 – Bristol, UK @ Academy *
04/15 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowlands *
04/16 – Edinburgh, UK @ Mash House
04/17 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia *
04/18 – Dublin, IE @ Olympia *
04/19 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall *
04/20 – Liverpool, UK @ Studio 2
04/21 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
04/24 – London, UK @ Brixton Academy *
04/25 – Southampton, UK @ Joiners Arms *
04/27 – Paris, FR @ Trianon *
04/28 – Brussels, BE @ AB *
04/29 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg *
04/30 – Rotterdam, NL @ Paradijskerk
05/01 – Groningen, NL @ Grand Theatre Up
05/02 – Cologne, DE @ E-Werk w/ Lumineers
05/04 – Hamburg, DE @ Grosse Freiheit 36 *
05/06 – Berlin, DE @ Admiralspalast *
05/08 – Stockholm, SE @ Berns *
05/09 – Oslow, NO @ Rockefeller *
05/10 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega *
05/11 – Malmo, SE @ Grand
05/12 – Gothenberg, SE @ Oceanen
05/14 – Berlin, DE @ Baumhausbar
05/15 – Prague, CZ @ Le Royal
05/16 – Vienna, AT @ B72
05/17 – Zurich, CH @ Exil
05/18 – Geneva, CH @ Kalvingrad
05/19 – Brussels, BE @ Les Nuits Botanique: Grand Salon de Concert
05/20 – Hamburg, DE @ Molotow
05/21 – Cologne, DE @ Gabaude 9
05/23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
05/25 – London, UK @ Bush Hall ^
05/26 – Brighton, UK @ The Hope and Ruin ^
05/30 – Lille, FR @ La Peniche
05/31 – Paris, FR @ Mecanique Ondulatoire
06/02 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera
06/03 – Barcelona, ES @ Primavera
06/09 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom &
06/22 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s $
06/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre $
06/25 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery $
06/28 – Victoria, BC @ Royal Theatre $
06/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre $
06/30 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Amphitheatre $
07/02 – Portland, OR @ Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre $
07/05 – Bend, OR @ Athletic Club of Bend $
07/09 – Winnipeg, MB @ Winnipeg Folk Festival
07/23 – Lowell, MA @ Boarding House Park $
07/26 – Brooklyn, NY @ BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! $
07/27 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre $
07/29 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Botanical Garden $
08/02 – San Antonio, TX @ Tobin Center for the Performing Arts $
08/03 – Austin, TX @ Long Center for the Performing Arts
08/04 – Dallas, TX @ Winspear Opera House $
08/06 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium $
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre $
08/09 – Bayfield, WI @ Big Top Chautauqua
08/10 – Apple Valley, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater $
* = w/ Lumineers
^ = w/ Evening Hymns
& = w/ Son Little
$ = w/ case/lang/viers
