Photo Credit: Press

We chatted with ANDREW CUSHIN last week whilst he was driving through Romania on his European tour supporting Louis Tomlinson. The release of his debut album is only days away, and we sat down to talk about the release of the record, tour life and everything in between.

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Your debut album ‘Waiting for the Rain’ is scheduled for release at the end of September, how excited are you for people to hear it?

Andrew: I can’t wait. It’s one of those things where you’re nervous as you don’t know how the album is going to go down, but in the grand scheme of things I hope it’s a success. We are all quite nervous and excited, it’s my first record so I don’t really know what to expect.

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How has the reception been for the singles you have released from the album?

Andrew: It has been great, ‘4.5%’ is a really personal one and it has racked up lots of support. We have been touring the States and getting to play them to an American audience has been quite special. All the reactions on the singles have gone down really well and there are tracks on the album that could have been singles in their own right. I definitely think there are a couple of songs on there that people will be really into. The reaction as whole has been great.

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What was it like touring in America?

Andrew: It was amazing, I am pleased I have done it early days and it gives me chance to continue going back before I get older. It was great playing with Louis and getting great receptions each night. It has got to the point where we have built a following and we can then hopefully do own our tour in the future.

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How has touring with Louis Tomlinson been?

Andrew: He has been absolutely amazing; we have so much love, respect and gratitude for everything he has done for me and my team. He has been so supportive and given me advice and it has been a real breath of fresh air to have somebody like that in my corner. Louis has been involved with the album too, and it is such a please and privilege that he has done that for us. The gigs themselves have been amazing as well, his fans have taken to me and the band and it is beautiful to see. I am incredibly grateful to him and his management and team for what they have done for us

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Your UK tour is coming up fast, and it is a long one. How excited are you for it?

Andrew: Yeah we are doing around 16 shows, we have a bigger team behind us and it is definitely a step up from the last tour. We have a few more shows with Louis to go, then some in store signings then straight back out on the road, so it is good that we don’t have time to sit back and we continue the work. I am looking forward to playing all the new songs as well.

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Is there any particular dates you are most excited to play?

Andrew: I am looking forward to playing them all to be honest. London is going to be special as it is our biggest headline show there. Every venue we are playing is a step up from last time. There are a couple of new venues in there as well but I am looking forward to them all. You’re waking up in a new city with your mates and family. I look forward to being on the road as a whole, and the Newcastle shows are going to be special. The first night sold out and the second show will be our last one of the year. When I finish that show I will have done nearly 130 shows for this year.

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How has touring been for you this year?

Andrew: It is a bit of a mix really, I am only 22 so I still party like the next kid. I am trying to find the right balances, not trying to smoke or drink too much when I have three gigs in three nights coming up. It’s not sustainable for me to do it like that, so it’s about maintaining a structure really.

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You have some in store shows and signings coming up, are you looking forward to those?

Andrew: It is something I have never done before. If someone said to me in a year’s time that I would be sat in a record store signing albums for people, I wouldn’t believe them. It is going to be a nice experience, coming off the back of the tour playing arenas and stadiums with Louis, going into a small intimate setting playing an acoustic set and getting to meet people who have bought the record and hopefully have some nice conversations with them too.

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As this is your first record, are you aiming for a chart position?

Andrew: I am really hoping for a top 10 spot. We are aware of who is releasing records that week and the top spots are sort of already accounted for, but we are going to be pushing it as much as possible.

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Do you have any plans for next year?

Andrew: It would be nice to get on some festivals in the summer. Also, my own shows in the States and Europe as well. We’ll definitely be recording a second record too. I’m hoping for a busy 2024.

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You have chosen support bands for different cities on your upcoming tour, rather than taking one band on the road with you. What was the reason behind that?

Andrew: A lot of the places like Leicester, Oxford and Milton Keynes we have only played once, and not even on tour. Over the years people like Noel Gallagher, Louis Tomlinson, Pete Doherty and Jamie Webster who are at the top of their game have given me the opportunity to play before them, and I wanted to reciprocate that by giving different bands the chance to play shows. It will be a fresh feeling for every show as we are with different people each night and it gives people who are coming to the shows that exposure of new bands to listen to.

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Do you have any touring rituals?

Andrew: I always do a little team talk before we go on stage. I like to think I am the captain or manager. We have a lot of techno blasting out in the dressing room to get everyone pumped up. The show then takes care of itself; we’re all full of energy already and enjoying being on stage and performing.

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What is your perfect rider?

Andrew: A bottle of blue label Johnny Walker. A couple of vapes in various flavours. My guitarist smokes about 50 a day so a big pouch of tobacco. Some chewing gum and a load of Kit-Kats for the sound guy, he’s addicted to them, and trains bizarrely, so maybe a model train set for him too.

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A massive thank you to Andrew Cushin for taking the time to chat to us whilst travelling through the hills of Romania.

ANDREW CUSHIN’s debut album ‘Waiting for the Rain’ is scheduled for release 29th September 2023, remaining pre-orders are available HERE.

ANDREW will also be heading out on his headline UK tour later this year, tickets are on sale now.