Bio

Born in the UK, Andy Bassett has lived in New Zealand since 1986, settling in New Plymouth in 1988. Writing songs since he was a teenager, he draws on a wide spectrum of musical influences - David Bowie, Brian Wilson, Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell and more. In parallel to his solo work, Andy has played in several Taranaki bands over the years, including Uncle John’s Band (1990-2008), Blue Monkey Racket (2014-2020). During the 2020 Covid lockdown, Andy and a bunch of friends formed The OK Boomers, a largely acoustic band performing a mix of originals and covers.

His solo albums, including Driving At The Moon (2007) and Another Country (2012), are largely self-contained productions made in his home studio, Little Pink, with Andy playing most instruments. For The Day That Peace Broke Out (2018) he went to the other extreme, featuring 24 collaborators. His 2022 follow-up The Orchid Thief was a much more pared-down affair, with just guitar, piano and a small classical ensemble, using arrangements co-written with pianist Jarrod Bakker.

His latest EP, Surface Noise (2024) combines these recording methods - solo recordings made at Little Pink, and strings arranged with Jarrod Bakker, recorded by Chris Foreman at Swamp Shack Studios. The title track features timpani and French horn., and Taranaki singer-songwriter Liana Hart adds lush harmonies to two songs.

Links

• Facebook Page
• Youtube Page
• Bandcamp Page
• Spotify Page