Long Read // Andy Goodwin is a likely lad with a not-so-likely musical trajectory
Andy Goodwin is a likely lad with a not-so-likely musical trajectory.
Having earned virality with snippets of his debut track ‘Fred Perry Girl’, Andy Goodwin rose to internet stardom before he had a single release to his name.
Now, a mere six months on, the Oldham-born singer has unveiled his debut EP, secured support gigs with the likes of Balancing Act, The Royston Club, and Seb Lowe, alongside announcing his first festival slot for later this year. Taking a moment to reflect on his journey so far, Andy called in from his London flat, just days ahead of supporting RAT BOY at The Lower Third.
With his dad’s CDs soundtracking childhood car rides, Andy’s immersion into the world of Britpop began at an early age. “If you get stuck listening to Blur for 10 years without any choice, you eventually love it.” he laughs. Combined with defining records from The Charlatans, Space, and The Smiths, guitar-driven English rock quickly became a familiar sound. Although, it wasn’t until his brother took up guitar at school that Andy picked up the instrument himself. “I copied him because I thought ‘Wow, this is going to be amazing, we’re gonna start a band!’ and then he sacked it off...”
Outlasting his brother’s relatively short stint, Andy continued to play guitar throughout his teens. After endless covers of the rock bands of his younger years, and the realisation that he could – in fact – sing, the process of writing his own songs began. “They were all shit for like 10 years, and then suddenly I write ‘Fred Perry Girl’ and it goes alright!” Drawing on the nostalgia of ‘00s Britpop, the track quickly gained traction online, with clips racking up countless streams on TikTok before it had been released. “It was crazy, but I always wanted it to go that way,” Andy reflects on being launched into social media fame.
This rapid ascent to stardom didn’t come without controversy, though. In face of the inevitable stigma surrounding breaking through on TikTok, Andy continued to use the platform to his advantage. “You don't want to be a TikTok artist, you want to be an artist in your own right. But if that's the way to do it these days, or a quicker way to do it, or an easier way to do it, I don't know why people don't, to be honest.” Affirming his status as a pop provocateur, he continues. “You either sit there and criticise it and slag it off, or you do what I did, bite the bullet, and then your first single gets almost a million plays. Not in an arrogant way! (But kind of in an arrogant way.)”
Seeking to upkeep momentum, Andy’s debut EP arrived last month. The aptly titled ‘Tales Of A Likely Lad’ (a reference to The Libertines’ ‘What Became of the Likely Lads?’) lays out the foundations of his artistry, exactly as it is now. From the carefree escapism of ‘Cheap Wine’ to the rebellious hedonism of ‘FUNEMPLOYED’, it captures all facets of his experience as a British lad in his early 20s. “I’m kind of just always writing. No matter what I'm doing, I'm always coming up with some kind of idea.” he explains.
Created between his uni flat in Newcastle, parents’ house in Oldham, and new home in London, the 6-track project provides a series of entirely non-sugar-coated snapshots into his life. “I've had some of those songs for years. I could have easily scrapped them and picked other stuff to go on the EP, but I was like ‘I'm going to be authentic with what I'm putting out.’” Combining the influences of Britpop bands Blur and Suede with a refreshing Gen Z twist, it pays homage to the guitar music of his upbringing while carving his own path as an indie newcomer. With very few collaborators (namely Louis Parsely and Rich Turvey on production) the record finds Andy at his most authentic. “It’s kind of just all over the shop. I think you can sense that in the songs, a bit of naivety and hoping that everything's gonna work out.”
On ‘Same Old Jeans’, the London-based musician’s candid storytelling prevails, as he provides an unfiltered look into his thoughts. “It’s the truest and most open and vulnerable of the EP,” says Andy. As the project’s final offering, it ponders on his whirlwind journey over the past few months. “Everything's going fucking amazingly, but not that much has changed.” he reflects. Tying together the various versions of himself and his experiences, it’s a fitting roundoff to the body of work.
“I've probably learned more in the last six months about music, and about myself, and about my own artistry, than kind of everything that I have in the last 20 years,” Andy explains. Whether it be through causing a stir online or narrating his experiences in their most unfiltered form, his mantra remains one of being carefree and unapologetically himself. “Listen to [the songs] and have a good time. Just enjoy it. Find some relatability in it.” he expands on what he hopes listeners take away from his music.
With his EP launch party at Sebright Arms now complete, and ongoing writing sessions with new collaborators RAT BOY and Carl Barat (The Libertines), it’s building up to be an exciting few months ahead. A recent highlight though, has been the news of Andy’s debut slot at Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival. “My mate Kai (Balancing Act) sent me a picture of the poster, and I didn't notice that my name was on there. I text him, being like, ‘Oh yeah, I'll get a ticket. I'll come and watch you!’ Then he text again and was like ‘Are you being serious?’”
At not even a year into launching his artist project, there’s bound to be many more of these moments yet to come for Andy.
Feature by Emily Savage
