Andrew Downing is a multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with artists across the spectrum of genres. He produces and records in his home studio, and he recently collaborated with Mary Gauthier and John Bauer on "Today". Downing stopped by the KAXE studio to chat with Kari Hedlund on his new musical directions and what it means to have success in the music industry. Click the "Listen" player above to hear the full conversation.
Downing's latest full-length album release, Hard Years features a blues-rock sound with plenty of vocal-forward tracks. These features are part of the new direction that Downing has been working towards since achieving success as a jazz musician. "I'm probably an alienated jazz musician," Downing said. "I think I hit my peak when I was playing with Sam Miltich and my dad and Donny Boydell. We were having this gig and I thought to myself, 'I don't think it's going to get any better than this. Sam was on fire, Donny was on fire, and I was playing just good enough. So they were on fire and I was kind of jealous of being the time-keeper. I was ready to try new things. I always wanted to sing and write, I enjoy writing, and if you sing then you have more to write about."
With over 40 published instrumental tracks, Downing has had success letting his music do the talking. Letting his words do the talking has been a creative challenge that has lead to some great results. "It's not comfortable to have my voice out there. Not at all. It's been a real challenge," he said. "But now that my library of instrumental music is out there, almost 40 songs I've published without words, it feels like it's time to get comfortable with [singing] and try something different. And try more collaborations: more people in the studio, more community, more spending time with people. And people want to sing, a lot! That's what people are in to."
"The Hard Years" has a bit of a taste of vocals. I was still working on the engineering side of things, and now I'm starting to find a process. Yeah, vocal music is coming for sure."
Creating space for collaborations is something that has always interested Downing. Playing the drums has been a way for Downing to embrace the collaborative spirit of playing music. "I've been a drummer in the music business and it's the instrument that I pride myself on," he said. "And drumming is completely collaborative. I've always disliked the coined phrase 'he's a one-man band' because I don't feel that way. Even when I'm playing things by myself, I'm thinking 'what would my favorite musicians be playing.' Collaborations are a way of getting out of the one-man band. I don't value that as much. That's the drummer in me... We need a band, you know!"
One of Downing's recent collaborations took place with the legendary musician Mary Gauthier and KAXE's own John Bauer. They teamed up on a song written by Gauthier and Bauer called "Today."
"I was sitting at the parade and got a text from John and there was this song file on it," Downing remembered. "And I thought 'wow, this is a great song.' I had no idea it was Mary. And right away I said 'can I produce this song?' and he said 'I think so...'"
Downing has a personal connection to the song, as he was a neighbor to John's daughter Megan. Megan died of suicide years ago, but the subject matter of this song was still challenging for Downing. "I was really kind of scared to ask the wrong questions. And I wanted to make sure I treated the song with respect, so I had more respect for the process," he said. "But then I got more emotionally involved than I usually do, and that's where the guitar part at the end of the song comes in and the piano too. I had my own things that I hadn't processed with all of that... she was a neighbor... it was as difficult song to produce. I'd get through half a day and I'd be in tears and have to regroup and come back. It was both an exciting and difficult thing to do."
The emotional element of music is important for Downing, but it's only one part of what it means to be a musician. "Music is a place to work, a place to hang your hat. It's been tough to hold on to, but music is my job. A lot of things have to go right to be successful. It went right with Quinn Records. And then my moment was gone. I thought it was going to keep going, but I learned the lesson of 'Wow, the pandemic shut me down.' I've spent so much more time being on the other side of things than the Billboard side."
"It's validation to fight to say you're a musician. You just have to earn it, you have to earn your stripes. I'm forty, I'm still playing, I haven't gave up. That means something to me."
And music is more than a job to Downing. "It's also something special that my grandma gave me. It's a special gift I know I'm supposed to hold on to because not everyone can do it. That's what she taught me. This is a special thing not everyone gets to play, so you better play and enjoy this gift because if you don't, you're just throwing it away."
"Music can change lives. It can be so much. It can be purpose, meaning, spirituality, the whole thing. It's a big subject. It can be family too. And I think that's a struggle: how do you merge those two things, music and family? I'm still working on it."
You can hear the new single "Today" playing this month on KAXE/KBXE's "New Music" and "Center Stage Minnesota.
Downing's The Hard Years can be heard everywhere you get your music.
