Andy Sydow Sets Out Solo With Newly Fashioned Single “Alibi”

Article Contributed by Orange Daisey | Published on Thursday, July 15, 2021

Track Debuts in Advance of Full EP Release With Focus on the “Bases of Life”

Ready to go to bat on his first-ever solo tour, singer-songwriter Andy Sydow announces his latest, three-track EP “Time Stands Between” taking listeners on a reflective journey through the “bases of life.” Newly recorded “Alibi” drops on July 15 while brand-new singles “Just Want You to Notice Me Again” and “When It Ends” debut on August 19.

The upcoming EP houses three singles thoughtfully selected for their metaphorical significance. Building to what Sydow refers to as the bases of life, he walks listeners through chapters encountered in the adult experience: crossroads, past relationships and death. The musician explains, “I think less about what I think people want to hear in a song. Lately in my writing, I find myself wanting to write about real-life situations and things I relate to.”

As the first base and starting single on the album, the inspiration for “Alibi” stemmed from Sydow’s struggle with conflicting experiences in his career in 2015. On the heels of a sold-out gig opening for Tab Benoit at the Gothic, he found himself playing for customer requests at a steak house the following night. With a goal of performing at 500-capacity shows before he turned 30, Sydow grappled with the paradox of the grind against the glimpse of stardom. Considering the highs and lows of the music industry, Sydow said, “It was just this kind of crazy ego reality check.” Pushing past the wounds of disillusionment, the musician remained undeterred from continuing forward in his music career. Nonetheless he felt “a reason to move on to something else … to a better situation.” “Alibi” emerged as an examination of life’s crossroads: the barriers – real or perceived – in juxtaposition to personal breakthrough. In 2016, the song initially released on an album entitled “A Little Messed Up.” The recently crafted version is one of seven songs recorded by Sydow in December 2019.

Sydow partially recorded the latest version of “Alibi” at Third and James Studios in Denver with his backing band. To finalize the project, he personally completed recording by adding lap steel, acoustic guitar, piano and synths from his home studio to skillfully produce the track. The piece has received extensive attention already. Earning Sydow the distinction of being a Club 7 member, “Alibi” was a finalist in the 2021 Kerrville Grassy Hill New Folk Songwriting Competition Festival. It has also garnered recognition as finalist in both the 2020 International Songwriting Competition and the 2020 Durango Songwriters Expo Song Competition.

Driving to the second base of the EP, the title “Just Want You to Notice Me Again” encapsulates the song’s message clearly. As an honest lament of the sense of loss and attention felt when a love interest’s excitement fades, the track speaks from the voice of the abandoned partner. This track was recorded at Third and James Studios in Denver last month.

As the third track, “When It Ends” was recorded in the same seven-song session as “Alibi” in December 2019. Loading the bases, the single explores the inevitability of death opposite the temporary weight of daily choices. The song presents a moral lesson seeking to insert perspective. Sydow states, “Basically the moral of ‘When It Ends’ is enjoy life because it’s all going to end, and it just doesn’t matter.”

Sydow is a musician and storyteller. The lyrical pictures he paints are reminiscent of Paul Simon and Billy Joel as he applies occasional injections of satire. As an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter, Sydow’s talents have opened the doors to opportunities both at home and abroad. Widely recognized, he has opened for acts including Chuck Prophet, Brett Dennen, Samantha Fish, Shane Smith and the Saints, Dick Dale, Koe Wetzel, Chase Rice, Tab Benoit, and Anders Osborne.

Off the road, Sydow hosts “Middle Class Rock Star,” a podcast for creatives and music industry professionals. Sydow has hosted heavy hitters like Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon, Andy Frasco, Brody Danger of 7S Management, and Jeremy Lawton of Big Head Todd and the Monsters.

Rounding his own bases of life, Sydow sculpts experience into song for connection with fans. Conceived from his personal reflections, each single evokes themes to which audiences can relate. Sydow brings it in for a home run with “Time Stands Between.”