21 August 2013 - 0 Comments

After a gap of 25 years, one of the icons of kiwi music, Andrew McLennan (Coconut Rough-Sierra Leone, Pop Mechanix), is back with his new band, Sly Riders and their brand new album of original music, Single Status – with all tracks written by Andrew. 

The Sly Riders are based around Andrew’s new original songs with Andrew on lead vocals, guitars and keyboards, Kevin Findlater guitars, bass and audio engineering and Toni Kenyon percussion and vocals. This year Dean Ruscoe joined the band playing drums and percussion on recordings and live performance. 

"Our raison d’être is to continue building our repertoire of great songs and recordings. As of now we have the new album, plus five tracks in the can and three more on the way as part of a second album" says Andrew.

The band’s first single, Single Status is taken from the album of the same name. The band has self-published the album through Reverbnation.com who are distributing the material through iTunes, Spotify, Amazon etc. So far, the response to the tracks has been very encouraging.

"We are  getting very strong feedback to three album tracks, in particular Single Status, Faded Star and Girlfriend Too", says Andrew

Andrew comments , "I started playing at high school, along with Mark Bell and Don McGlashan among others. We called ourselves Whizz Kids. That band split with members going into Blam Blam Blam, The Swingers, Crocodiles and Pop Mechanix.

Whizz Kids served us well. All these bands went on to do good things.

I formed Coconut Rough in the early 80s and had a biggie with Sierra Leone culminating a few years later with a songwriting stint in Los Angeles under the wing of John Boylan.

Returning home I decided to leave the music biz and start an Antique Toy business based in Parnell, which ran for 13 years! I thought it would last forever.

Then......my life imploded.

I got hit with a deep depression coupled with growing evidence that me and alcohol were bad bedfellows. It wasnt a mid life crisis, more of a mid life armageddon. The shit had really hit the fan and I was in deep trouble.

If I had of owned a pick up truck it would have broken down. Luckily I had no dog.

I kinda had to start my life up from scratch all over again, which was tricky as I lost everything.

So I did....

Guess when we are in peril we head for home and for me that was a return to my real love. Music.

I gave up all alcohol and drugs. Pulled my socks up.

Met Kevin and Toni and started jamming.... covers. I cant do covers, never did, never could sing other people’s songs as well as my own, but playing again was feeling good.

Two years ago I started writing originals again and well...after many hours in the studio relearning the ropes....here they are.

I’m proud of these songs. Each one means something to me. Its the most honest thing I have ever done"

Profile Page Link:
http://www.reverbnation.com/slyriders

Songs:
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/3440720

Videos:
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_videos/3440720

Photos:
http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_photos/3440720

Website:
http://www.slyriders.com/

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