the official website of andy mullen

Andy Mullen plays a music that he describes as, “folk fusion,” but lest one get the wrong idea, there is nothing sedate or staid about it. Rather, his music bursts out of the speakers in a stream of imagery and sound, and Mullen’s command of his craft is so palpable that in listening, one immediately knows they are hearing an artist with his own unique vision of life and music. His new album, The Toenail Jar, showcases the NYC based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist coming of age both as a musician and as a person in a multitude of ways.

Mullen’s musical template draws from a variety of styles - folk, bluegrass, blues, country and jazz. It befits him, as he grew up as a child first listening to Billy Joel and Broadway musicals, until, as he says, “got a clue” and began listening to Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. The eclecticism within the music of those influences then led Andy to older strains of American music – notably folk, old time string bands, and bluegrass, whose impact can be heard all over Mullen’s music – and blues guitarists like Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson. And Andy’s unquenchable thirst to absorb music, as both listener and player, inspired him to not only learn one instrument, but to learn several, including guitar, banjo, accordion, piano and percussion.

Moving to New York, Andy got into the independent music scene with the intention and desire of being a full time musician and began playing local clubs, while being a middle school English teacher to pay the rent. That experience has been immensely useful, as he explains: “Being in front of a classroom is great training for being in front of an audience. You have to struggle to entertain these kids. I learned how to work the crowd and to let the audience know that I’m in charge. Plus, where else are you going to find an audience to try out your material every day?”

After releasing his debut album, I Wish My Name Were Jack in 2006, Mullen found himself winning some fans and enjoying some acclaim, including being featured in a Songwriter’s Hall of Fame New Song Showcase and receiving laudatory notices in several publications, including Performing Songwriter. But Andy saw something missing, and unlike other musicians who are eager to point fingers everywhere else, he looked inward. As he explains, “I started asking myself, ‘Why isn’t this happening?’ ‘Why can’t I make a living from this?’ I realized that up till then, I hadn’t been good enough.” That frank and courageous self-assessment gave Andy the freedom and space to grow from what he calls, “a talented amateur to a thorough professional.” Practice, practice, practice.

That leap has made itself evident in his new album, The Toenail Jar. Produced and recorded by Andy, and featuring him on over a dozen instruments, the album’s songs were approached in various ways. He reflects, “Most of the songs just kind of came out. It took six months to record, but what took the time was really conceiving the songs in every possible way. I had three or four arrangements for each song. It was a true labor of love to make.” Featuring Mullen’s exceptional finger-picking style on guitar, the songs’ arrangements are uncommonly skillful, with light and subtle touches, like the fiddle and djembe on “Sun Goes Up, Sun Goes Down,” and the galloping banjo on “Quit Quittin’,” all which inspire a quiet sense of joy and wonder.

The utterly moving “So Does The Beer” tells the story of the death of his father, who died while Andy recorded the album. The song is an affectingly wry observation on love and loss; Andy’s vocals perfectly convey the balance of sadness and acceptance, while never succumbing to excessive sentimentality. But the album is also a showcase for Mullen’s wry and subtly wicked sense of humor, befitting an artist who calls himself “Folk Music’s New Bad Boy.” “Crooked Deck” inspires a multitude of smiles, in his description of himself as a man in possession of only, “The same rhyme all the time/Smokes and jokes and a dozen lines/They say that all I ever sing about is booze.” It’s ironic without being at all jaded, and in that, it is utterly invigorating.

Andy is currently looking to go out on the road to play the new music he is understandably proud of, with a newly expansive attitude towards his craft. “I want to go on the road and hit the small towns,” he declares. “I want to play in places and sleep on your couch. I want to call some square dances! I want to play house concerts and really connect with listeners by bringing myself out, rather than being reclusive.” He continues, “There’s a great Rick Rubin quote, something to the effect of, ‘If the artist gains the belief of the listener, anything is possible.’ That’s what I’m working towards.” And with his exceptional new album The Toenail Jar, Andy’s skill as a musician and candor as a lyricist make it inevitable that he is about to take on a new group of believers.

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