Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Regina, Saskatchewan.[1] He plays several instruments, including guitar, drums, and clarinet.[2]

Andy Shauf
Shauf performing on stage
Shauf performing on stage
Background information
Born (1987-05-26) 26 May 1987 (age 37)
Estevan, Saskatchewan
OriginRegina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genres
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • drums
  • clarinet
Years active2000s–present
LabelsArts & Crafts, ANTI-
Websiteandyshauf.com

Early life

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Shauf was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, grew up in Bienfait, and later moved to Regina.[2] His parents ran an electronics and music store, giving him access to a variety of instruments.[2] He played Christian music with his parents[3] and was a drummer in the Christian pop punk band Captain until 2006.[2]

Career

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Shauf performing in Belgium, 2018

After two self-released albums in 2006[4] and 2007[5] respectively, Shauf released two albums on Hopeless Records: Darker Days (2009)[6] and Waiting for the Sun to Leave (2010).[7] These were followed by the self-released EP Sam Jones Feeds His Demons (2012).[8]

He released the album The Bearer of Bad News independently in 2012.[9] The album was re-released in 2015 on Tender Loving Empire and Party Damage Records.[9] The song "Wendell Walker" from the album was shortlisted for the 2016 SOCAN Songwriting Prize.[10]

In 2015, Shauf signed to Arts & Crafts Productions in Canada and ANTI- internationally, releasing the non-album single "Jenny Come Home" as his first release on both labels.[11] "Jenny Come Home" was Shauf's breakthrough on Canadian radio, charting on both CBC Radio 2's Radio 2 Top 20[12] and CBC Radio 3.[13]

Through early 2016, he toured Europe as an opening act for the Lumineers,[14] and he moved from Saskatchewan to Toronto in April that year.[2]

Shauf's album The Party was released in May 2016.[6] After some experimental recordings with a group of musicians, Shauf ended up playing almost all of the instruments on the album himself,[15][16] with the exception of the string arrangements, which were written and performed by Colin Nealis.[17][18] The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize[19][20] and has since been noted by some as the first album to win Shauf widespread recognition.[21][22] Following the album's release, Shauf toured throughout 2017 with a five-piece band.[23]

In 2018, Shauf recorded an album with D. A. Kissick, Avery Kissick and Dallas Bryson, under the band name Foxwarren.[24] The album was released on 30 November 2018[24] and received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.[25]

On 23 October 2019, Shauf announced that a new album, The Neon Skyline, would be released 24 January 2020.[26] A single, "Things I Do", was released the same day.[26] After the release of The Neon Skyline, Barack Obama featured the title track on his 2020 summer playlist.[27] Commenting on this honor, Shauf stated, "It’s cool to think that Obama, or the Obamas together, have listened to my music. It’s a really nice feeling to think my music has gone that far."[28]

On 24 September 2021, Shauf released the album Wilds, a collection nine songs written and recorded at the same time as The Neon Skyline and described as a "companion piece" to it.[29][30]

On 10 February 2023, Shauf released Norm. The concept album follows a stalker and has been praised for its use of unreliable narrators and its sinister undertones.[31][32][33] The album was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.[34]

Discography

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Albums

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List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
CAN
[35]
US
Heat

[36]
Love and the Memories of It
  • Released: 2006[4]
  • Label: self-released
Grandpa Songs
  • Released: 2007[5]
  • Label: self-released
Darker Days
Waiting for the Sun to Leave
  • Released: 18 September 2010[7]
  • Label: Hopeless
The Bearer of Bad News
  • Released: 2012
  • Re-released: 30 January 2015[38]
  • Label: TLE
The Party
The Neon Skyline
  • Released: 24 January 2020[40]
  • Label: Anti-
91 23
Wilds
  • Released: 24 September 2021[41]
  • Label: Anti-
Norm
  • Released: 10 February 2023[42]
  • Label: Anti-
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

with Foxwarren

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  • Has Been Defeated (2011) [43]
  • Foxwarren (2018)[44]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee/Work Result Ref
2013 Western Canadian Music Awards Producer of the Year Andy Shauf Won [45]
2016 SOCAN Songwriting Prize English Songwriting Prize "Wendell Walker" Nominated [10]
Polaris Music Prize Best Full-length Canadian Album The Party Nominated [46]
2017 Juno Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year Andy Shauf Nominated [47]
Adult Alternative Album of the Year The Party Nominated
Recording Engineer of the Year "The Magician" Nominated
"To You" Nominated
Canadian Independent Music Awards Album of the Year The Party Nominated [48]
Songwriter of the Year "The Magician" & "Quite Like You" Nominated
Western Canadian Music Awards BreakOut Artist of the Year Andy Shauf Nominated [49]
Pop Artist of the Year Won
Producer of the Year The Party Nominated
Recording of the Year Nominated
Songwriter of the Year "The Magician" Nominated
2020 Juno Awards Alternative Album of the Year Foxwarren Nominated
2022 Juno Awards Adult Alternative Album of the Year Wilds Nominated [50]

References

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  1. ^ "Andy Shauf Channels His Inner Awkwardness for 'The Party'". Exclaim!, 20 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Carla Gillis, "Andy Shauf moves to Toronto". Now, 15 November 2016.
  3. ^ Ron Johnson, "Toronto singer-songwriter Andy Shauf on his latest album ahead of his Virgin Mod Club show tonight". Post City Toronto, 22 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Love and the Memories of It by Andy Shauf". Genius. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Grandpa Songs by Andy Shauf". Genius. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Andy Shauf, The Party's Gracious Host", Paste, 26 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Waiting for the Sun to Leave by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Sam Jones Feeds His Demons, by Andy Shauf". Andy Shauf. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Bad News Bearer", Portland Mercury, 4 February 2015.
  10. ^ a b "SOCAN Songwriting Prize Finalists Announced", Exclaim!, 9 June 2016.
  11. ^ "Andy Shauf Signs to Arts & Crafts/Anti-, Shares New Song", Exclaim!, 16 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Radio 2 Top 20 January 8: Alessia Cara kicks off the new year with a new number one" Archived 1 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, CBC Radio 2, 8 January 2016.
  13. ^ "CBC Radio 3’s top 103 Canadian indie songs of 2015" Archived 1 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, CBC Radio 3, 22 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Good news keeping rolling in for Andy Shauf". Regina Leader-Post, 17 June 2016.
  15. ^ Ben Rayner, "Andy Shauf doesn't play well with others", Toronto Star, 21 November 2016.
  16. ^ Mike Usinger, "Andy Shauf found out that he’s better off alone sometimes", The Georgia Straight, 12 October 2016.
  17. ^ Katzif, Mike (12 May 2016). "Review: Andy Shauf, 'The Party'". NPR. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Recent Albums". Colin Sigor. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Saskatchewan's Andy Shauf makes the 2016 Polaris Music Prize long list", CBC News, 16 June 2016.
  20. ^ Devin Pacholik, "Andy Shauf: A bigger profile, same humble songwriter", Regina Leader-Post, 6 October 2016.
  21. ^ "Andy Shauf Gives New Life to a Dying Romance on Wilds". pastemagazine.com. 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Andy Shauf On Anticlimactic Storytelling & 'The Neon Skyline': "Essentially It's An Album About Nothing"". www.grammy.com. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  23. ^ Greene, Sarah (10 July 2017). "Andy Shauf Main Stage, Sudbury ON, July 9". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Andy Shauf Announces New LP with Foxwarren", Exclaim!, 5 November 2018.
  25. ^ Melody Lau, "Alessia Cara and Tory Lanez lead the 2020 Juno nominations", CBC Music, 28 January 2019.
  26. ^ a b Allie Gregory, "Andy Shauf Announces New Album 'The Neon Skyline,' Hits Canada on World Tour", Exclaim!, 23 October 2019.
  27. ^ "Archived copy". twitter.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ "Saskatchewan native Andy Shauf on Barack Obama's summer playlist". Global News. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  29. ^ "Wilds". Andy Shauf. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  30. ^ "Andy Shauf: Wilds". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  31. ^ "'Norm': Andy Shauf's sweet, creepy postmodernist masterpiece - Far Out Magazine". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  32. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (10 February 2023). "On the Exquisitely Crafted 'Norm', Andy Shauf Channels God and Tells a Twisted Love Story: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  33. ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (10 February 2023). "Andy Shauf Breaks Down Every Song on His New Album 'Norm'". Our Culture. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  34. ^ "2023 Polaris Music Prize long list: Feist, Jessie Reyez and more", CBC Music, 13 June 2023.
  35. ^ "Andy Shauf – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  36. ^ "Andy Shauf – Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  37. ^ "Darker Days by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  38. ^ "The Bearer of Bad News by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  39. ^ "The Party by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  40. ^ "The Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  41. ^ "Wilds by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  42. ^ "Norm by Andy Shauf on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  43. ^ "Review – "Has Been Defeated" – Foxwarren | Grayowl Point". grayowlpoint.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  44. ^ "Foxwarren by Foxwarren on Apple Music". Apple Music (US). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  45. ^ "Solid night of wins for B.C. artists at the Western Canadian Music Awards". Montreal Gazette. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  46. ^ "Meet the 10 artists shortlisted for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize". CBC Music. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  47. ^ "Andy Shauf up for three Juno Awards". Estevan Mercury. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  48. ^ "2017 Nominees | INDIES". Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  49. ^ "BreakOut West Reveals 2017's Western Canadian Music Awards Nominees". Exclaim!. 24 April 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  50. ^ Melody Lau, "Alessia Cara and Tory Lanez lead the 2020 Juno nominations". CBC Music, 28 January 2020.
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