Andrew
When I moved to the Bay Area eight (!!) years ago, I had no idea I would encounter such a thriving and inspiring music scene. There’s a lot of fake news about the lack of artists around here. Maybe it’s not the same as it once was, but nothing is. My experience has been that there are incredible musicians in every nook of this part of the world.
One of the first such people I met was Andrew Laubacher. I mostly remember laughing a lot. Then we played music together and it felt so good and we laughed some more. He reminded me that it’s called “playing” music for a reason — I had lost touch with that. Then he played on “North Star” and I loved working with him.
He’s a drummer, by the way. Drums are a very loud instrument. As a singer/songcyclist who cares so much about his little word arrangements, I have a sometimes complicated relationship with drums. They’re so loud! But here’s the thing about Andrew’s greatness as a drummer: he is an exceptional musician. He listens. He not only serves the song, he lifts it up and makes it move. He makes it better.
He came to the tracks on this album in a backward way. They were already fully tracked to a click or a computer drummer. I honestly do not know how he did what he did. The way he shaped and orchestrated the songs was so beautiful. He brought them to life, building dynamics and arrangements. Each song he touched was a revelation. And he is a consummate pro. He knocked out many tracks with minimal takes, one after another, crushing each one with metronomic precision. I just sat on the couch and enjoyed the show. During mixing, I kept discovering new nuances and groovy taste nuggets. I can’t wait for you to hear it.
He is also a wonderful person. He is kind and good. These days, we probably need more wonderful people walking around than wonderful drummers. He just happens to be both. He is also a dad now (see hot pic with tiny baby) and he’s for hire: www.andrewdrums.com. He’s usually on the road with his band Con Brio so a pandemic gift is that he has time to drum on your songs! Get it touch — your recordings will blossom with soul and you will have so much playing.
