Interview: The Key of F

[gallery type="slideshow" link="none" size="full" ids="151742"] What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? Andie: I've been singing since I was a scrawny kid, standing in my room, singing into my hairbrush while my stereo was blasting. I can still hear my parents screaming at me to turn the music down before I went deaf. I'm originally from Florida and I always wanted to perform for Walt Disney World and after several auditions I finally got cast when I was 18. I honestly don't know what I would be doing if I hadn't gotten into music. I always knew I wanted to do something in the entertainment industry.   What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity? Andie: I enjoy working out and running with my dog in the park. I have a love of horror films and anything delightfully creepy. Plus, I was asked to join an axe throwing league, because who doesn't enjoy throwing sharp, murderous weapons around? For me, maintaining a workout regimen is essential in keeping a healthy mindset. Axe throwing is a perfect way to release any frustrations and horror films help me unwind. I know, it's weird....but it works. All those things help free up my creativity so it's not bogged down by daily stresses and I can write and sing easier.   How long has music been your career? Andie: Since I was 18.   Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music? Andie: I'm now based out of Los Angeles, California. The biggest influence when I moved here was I met my songwriting partner and bandmate, Marie Pettit. That was a turning point. Until then, I had never written my own songs, I had only performed someone else's music. So it was uncharted territory for me. For the longest time so many people told me that I didn't have what it took to be the frontwoman of a band, so I never tried. I was a backup singer, an a cappella singer in a quartet, a soloist but never the lead singer in a rock band. Until now.   Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played. Andie: HaHa, oh, this should be fun. The best show I ever played was House of Blues in Orlando. I was working with a cover band that did some fantastic music from Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers, Stevie Wonder and Cher. The energy from a packed crowd was pure magic, everyone cheering, dancing and loving the music. The staff at HOB also did their best to spoil us rotten, I've never seen so much food in my life! I remember coming off stage to the green room, all sweaty and disgusting and I took a towel and just laid down on the floor because I didn't want to ruin their leather couches. The staff was horrified, haha, they kept telling me it was okay to sit on the couch. My worst show was while I was singing with an all girl a cappella group in Orlando. We had contracts at Disney and Universal, plus several hotels in the area for our Christmas show, so there were several teams of girls that did shows in different places. We were supposed to close out the Christmas show with this really cool version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It sounded very Manhattan Transfer and not easy to learn at all. At the last minute the owner/director of the group switched the final number to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". She promised us we'd have a week to learn it before we got put into the rotation. Well......24 hours later and I find myself on stage, in front of about 100 people having to sing this new song that I didn't completely know. It was a train wreck It was the first time in my life I left a stage in tears. The other girls were all very nice saying that we'd go over the song and get it solid but I said "NO. We all know Santa Claus is Coming to Town, let's just end the show with that". Which is exactly what we did.....AND we got a standing ovation when we were finished. To this day, I still have post traumatic stress syndrome anytime Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree comes on during the holidays. Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already? Andie: House of Blues still takes the top spot as my favorite venue. I would really like to play the El Rey Theatre, and the live stage at Bar Sinister/Boardner's by La Belle. Both venues are very different, but each is so incredible. The stage at Bar Sinister/Boardner's is a much more intimate setting while the El Rey is larger and posh looking.   If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket? Andie: I would have a very eclectic lineup. Absolutely KMFDM, Dorothy, Nine Inch Nails, Electric Enemy and Blue Stahli.   What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music? Andie: Believe in yourself, trust your instincts and don't let anyone bully you. This doesn't mean becoming an egomaniac and being difficult to work with. It just means if you know something isn't right, don't go along with it because you are being pressured. There's a lot of good people out there who genuinely want to help you, but there are some that don't have any integrity. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.   If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be? Andie: Oh, this would definitely be: Sometimes things have to go wrong in order to go right.   Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? Andie: Wow, this is a really hard question. Hmm. Each song means something different to me, it's connected to an emotional place. If I have to pick one, I would say "LIES" because that is the song that started it all.   Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most? Andie: Our newest single, Another Love Like Mine, is really fun and LIES will always be one of my favorites to play. Right now I think the one that gets the most requests is LIES.   What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music? Andie: Most often I will have a lyric in mind and start scribbling that down in a notebook, or on any piece of paper I can find at the time. From there, the lyrics will take shape and while that's happening I will usually hear some sort of hook or melody that I take to Marie. We will sit down and work out the melody and then usually fine tune the lyrics. Inspiration most often has come from my own personal pain and experiences. But there have also been artist inspirations like Lucia Cifarelli, Oh The Larceny, Joan Jett, Dead Posey and Electric Enemy.   What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music? Andie: Anything that is going to inspire someone to take back their power, to stand up against injustices and to feel comfortable in their own skin.   Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them? Andie: Actually, we really don't. Marie and I are usually a united front about how we want a song to go. If we do have a difference of opinion about something we both automatically default to which one we had the idea for the song. If it is Marie's brainchild for a particular song, then she gets the final say. If it's my song idea, then I do. We are both really good about being respectful to each other.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Andie: The first single from our upcoming EP is being released on Oct 29th. It's called "Another Love Like Mine" and this song doesn't pull punches. It's definitely an empowerment tune for the broken-hearted. Our Producers, Charlie Waymire and Ernesto Homeyer, really brought this song to life and I am so excited about it. We also have plans to release our debut EP in early 2022! Streaming: Spotify:The Key of F