Andy Hanson writes about memories and stories. There’s a personal thread that touches on an undercurrent flowing around all of us. You can see him play his debut album, Roots on July 19 at The Finnish Bistro.
Please tell me about yourself and your music.
Music has always found its way into my life. Growing up in Minnesota, I participated early on in church choirs and plays and this developed into performing with various bands throughout middle school, high school, and college, including marching, jazz, and symphonic bands. Feeling unremarkable in both academics and athletics, I channeled my energy into music, where I thrived in group musical settings but struggled with solo performances, often freezing or faltering despite my abilities. I eventually realized I wasn’t connecting with the music I was playing, and it was only in the last decade that I discovered I had more to express musically than these formal outlets allowed. Turning to folk and Americana-style singer-songwriters for inspiration, I began creating music that helped me explore significant personal questions through my songwriting. Now based in Eau Claire, WI, my compositions continue to examine what it means to be human. I had a conversation with a creative friend of mine where we came to a pseudo-conclusion that everyone is born with a designated weight to carry throughout life. If you can imagine carrying a sandbag filled with that designated weight you will find life is so much easier when you have a good grip on the sand bag with both hands equally balancing the weight. But since sand can sometimes be equated to being semi-fluid, any little bump, tilt, or hardship might let the sandbag slip out of that equilibrium and you find yourself slipping, tripping, and falling just trying to regain balance. My songs typically emerge from these challenging moments, aiming to connect with others who are struggling by conveying that life is difficult for everyone, it’s acceptable to seek help with your burdens, and music can provide solace along the way.
I hear a sense of disenchantment in many of the songs on the new album, Roots. Is that a sign of the times or a sign more personal to your own experience – like maybe a shift in spiritual or religious focus?
I’ll have to say both. When I look at the big picture of where society is now, I see this shift happening – people are finally feeling like they can just be honest about what they’re feeling instead of nodding along with whatever society expects, no matter the consequences. I always felt weird about those conversations, you know? The ones about who belongs and who doesn’t, why a group’s rights and choices matter more than another groups’ rights and choices… even though they’re just as idealistic and righteous. Those contradictions never clicked for me. As I started writing songs about this stuff, I noticed a pattern – most of my questions kept coming back to these same inconsistencies. That’s when my personal experiences really came into play. I realized I just couldn’t move forward with my music, or honestly with my life in general, without dealing with all these complicated feelings I had about religion and the tough times I went through over the years. I just had to get those emotions out through my songs – it was the only way to make both my creative work and just… existing day-to-day… feel more manageable. In the end, writing these songs became an act of kindness toward myself – like I was reaching out my own hand to help carry part of my slipping sand bag. If you’ll let me reference that earlier metaphor.
Breath of Life embodies a funny, midwestern optimism – like a bracing winter breath. Can you tell me more about the song?
You know what sparked “Breath of Life”? It was this feeling I get during winter, when everything just seems to… stop. Like life completely pauses while everyone’s just waiting for spring to show up again. I’d be looking out my window during those coldest months, watching people all bundled up, rushing from one place to another. They looked so disconnected from actually living – almost like winter turns everyone into these zombies, you know? The only real sign that there were actual living, breathing humans under all those layers was that little cloud of steam coming from their mouths. That’s what hit me – that steam was literally the “Breath of Life” we’re all searching for during those brutal winter months. It’s the one warm, living thing pushing against all that cold. There’s this one line in the song that I’m just really proud of, both because it nails the theme and fits so perfectly with the melody: “It’s frozen but the clouds from your lungs, they satisfy.
Maybe is an interesting song about memories and the impact of remembering or misremembering or maybe reimaging our memories. How much of album is based on your memories or reimaged memories?
You know, this whole record really came from memories I just couldn’t shake. I had to write these songs to process everything – kind of like clearing out mental space so I could make room for better memories down the road. Even though I called the album “Roots,” it’s actually “Maybe” that gets to the core of what I’m exploring. It’s weird how I can still put myself right back in those old moments and feelings, like they happened yesterday. Not exactly the healthiest habit, right? The only thing that stops me from getting stuck there is knowing I can’t move forward in my music or my life if I’m always looking backward. “Maybe” is really asking myself that hard question – why do I keep trying to live in the past when I know it’s holding me back from everything I want to accomplish?
Please tell me about the release show.
The show is happening July 19th at 6:30pm at The Finnish Bistro and Cafe on Como Ave. in St. Paul. It’s such a great spot—super cozy, great sound, and no matter where you sit, you’ll have an awesome experience. Since it’s an active cafe, you can come anytime, grab some food or a drink, and just enjoy the night. I’ll be performing Roots in full, but I’m also excited to share some new songs I’ve been working on since the album came out. It should be a really fun, intimate night, and I’d love to see some familiar faces—and new ones too!
Mostly Minnesota 