Amy Kelly cut her teeth fronting Dublin act The Stoney Brokes and providing backing vocals for a number of acts in Ireland including The Hot Sprockets, This Other Kingdom , Brona Keogh, Haokah and Vernon Jane.
ANDI is the new project from Amy in which she steps out into the spotlight. Amy is a performer and ANDI showcases not just her presence as a live act but also her skill as a songwriter.
ANDI started as an acoustic 2-piece and initially developed into a full band for a performance at Knockanstockan Music Festival in 2019. A stream of shows later that year led to the recording of ANDI’s debut single, ‘Hermit’.
‘Hermit’ took influence from Tame Impala, The Pixies, Jeff Buckley & Elliot Smith. It was featured in Nialler 9, Hotpress, The Last Mixtape, it was featured on a number of Spotify Playlists and received national radio airplay.
In February 2021 ANDI released ‘Housewife’ which had already received reviews and features from the likes of HotPress magazine and GoldenPlec as well as some national airplay and Spotify playlists. ‘Housewife’ is a dramatic song about feeling trapped in an everyday routine, societal expectations of women and the boredom of normal life. This is the first single from the upcoming ‘Cedar Ward’ EP. Having been chosen as ‘Whelan’s Ones to Watch ‘ANDI is definitely an artist you want to keep your eye on this year.
‘Giving Up’ will be the next single, released 3rd September, along with a video to go with it. Directed, choreographed and costume design by Julie Weber.
‘Ceader Ward’, the debut EP from ANDI, is based around different facets of mental health. Be it through her own experiences or her loved ones ‘Ceader Ward’ is a musical piece of healing.
Having grown up visiting hospital wards and clinics from an early age Amy created a fictional and non fictional creative space to deal with past and present trauma.
The opening song ‘Housewife’ which was released early this year is a song that focuses on a feeling of despair and a desperate need to escape the mundane boredom of everyday routine.
It touches on mental health, societal expectations and generally feeling low.
The song slowly builds up tension towards a crescendo ,the peak of which signifies a resistance to traditional values, and female empowerment.
‘Giving Up’ (song and video concept ) was written at a time of self-doubt. Amy had doubts whether to pursue music and let her inner thoughts sabotage her music career.
The story follows the protagonist (Amy) on the brink of ruination. She finds herself at a pinnacle moment in her life – she is on the border of a reality filled only with negative thoughts.
At the beginning of the video, The Danse Macabre, (five dancing figures) are representatives of death that would dance a character to the grave: the story goes that death summons seven representatives from all walks of life to dance along to the grave (mixed ages, status etc).
“I have named the dancing figures “The Inners”.”
These figures follow, stay near and linger around the protagonist. When the break occurs, the protagonist leaves the borderline to hibernate. The protagonist is walking away from these figures/feelings. Eventually, she acknowledges that these are inescapable. There is an overwhelming feeling of freedom, comfort and understanding. The figures join her in the dirt. This is the moment of realisation that this is a part of life. These figures are lessons. The figures joining her could also be read as supporting members in the protagonist’s life (family, friends) sitting with someone throughout a dark time.
‘Itch’ is a song about toxic relationships and co-dependancy.
‘Ceader Ward’ is the title track from ANDI’S EP. It is based on mental health from a whole number of different perspectives based on Amy’s personal experience , her family ,friends and news headlines.
