Toronto singer-songwriter Andy Shauf has returned with a new double single release, featuring the tracks ‘Satan’ and ‘Jacob Rose’ via ANTI Records. Both tracks tell an intriguing story, with arch raconteur Shauf proving he’s at the top of his game.
‘Satan’ has been released with a accompanying video directed by Canadian independent filmmaker Ryan Steel and is a gentle and brooding lament which hangs on his every word. Take a look at the video below:
In a statement about the inspiration behind ‘Satan’, with his strict religious upbringing a major source, Shauf said:
“The Christianity that I was brought up in said that believers went to heaven and non-believers went to hell. A sort of cartoon-like simplification of ancient texts. So with the lyrics of this song, I was trying to take this cartoon-like simplification of life (and death) and pair it with a cartoon-like version of this Christian hell. Where after you complete a long and disciplined life, you find yourself holding a bite-sized chocolate bar stapled to an invitation to a Hallowe’en pool party with Satan himself.”
‘Jacob Rose’ is an introverted anecdote about a young man with a compulsion to hurt himself and others that he struggles to control, whilst dealing with the inevitable self-condemnation that arises. This is played out with Shauf’s ear for effectively-simple acoustic melodies at the forefront. Listen below.
Shauf surprise released ‘Wilds’ last September, a record that offered a peek into how the multi-instrumentalist first begins building his songs into more fully-formed final products. Presented in a near-unfiltered form, the delicate rawness of the songs on ‘Wilds’ is a revealing look at his mindset whilst writing the 2020 album ‘The Neon Skyline’.
Andy Shauf’s European tour hits the U.K and Ireland in May, with dates at:
May 9 – Birmingham, – The Castle & Falcon
May 10 – Edinburgh, – Summerhall
May 11 – Glasgow, – Drygate
May 12 – Manchester, – Gorilla
May 13 – Leeds, – Brudenell Social Club
May 14 – Bristol, – Fiddlers
May 15 – Brighton, – Chalk
May 16 – London, – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
May 18 – Belfast, – Empire
May 19 – Dublin, – Button Factory
