Andy Penkow is an Australian singer/songwriter known for his smooth and powerful vocals and his country/blues/Americana/alternte style of music. He has released three studio albums to date, with his latest album “Love, Lies & Dirty Dishes” peaking at No.3 on the Australian ARIA Charts and No.2 on the Australian Apple ITunes Charts.
Andy has had 10 singles reach No.1 across multiple Australian country radio charts and was nominated for a 2023 Golden Guitar Award. He has won 3xPeople’s Choice Awards, 4x Independent Country Music Awards, a 2024 TSA Award, and was the winner of the “Australian Busking Championships 2019 – Gundagai”.
Andy was deemed “The Most Successful Australian Male Country Artist” for both 2022 and 2023 by the Australian Radio Top 40 Airplay Charts – determined by calculating the success of total singles over 12 months, across approximately 300 Australian community stations.
Internationally, he has had two songs peak at No.1 on the Nashville Country Independent Radio Charts, his third album peaked at No.1 for three weeks at the Canadian CFUR Radio charts, and his song “Ghostly Gums” peaked at No.2 on the UKCountryRadio.com Most Heard Chart.
Andy has 700,000+ streams on Spotify and 130,000+ views on YouTube.
In July 2022, Andy released the album “Love, Lies & Dirty Dishes”. It showcases fourteen tracks all highlighting his undeniable vocal and songwriting talents.
Recorded at Tracking Dog Studios with producer, Rod Motbey, the 10-track digital release and 14-track CD features songs written by Andy along with a handful of co-writes with first class collaborators including Allan Caswell, David Carter and Rip-Van Parks to name just a few. The album also includes a show-stopping cover of the Wilson Phillips classic, “Hold On” and the brand new single, “Fireflies”.
“I wanted to create an album where I could pour out my heart and soul and be truly proud”, says Andy.
“I feel the album is an honest and raw reflection of who I am and I tried to forget about all the white noise and just focus on the music”.
“Every song is special to me and I wanted to treat every song with the respect it deserved and I was so blessed to be able to do this with the incredibly talented Rod Motbey. You can hear my 90’s influences here along with hints of blues and soul, yet it’s still country and still very me”.
The album includes “Fallen Snow” which showcases another side of this diverse singer-songwriter. Co-written with friend and fellow songwriter, Rip-Van Parks, “Fallen Snow”, is about not giving up on your dreams despite all the obstacles.
Andy says…
“Throughout life there will be those that doubt you or feel the need to tear you down. It’s amazing where there is that
someone special, whether it’s a family member, partner or friend, that shows you their unconditional love and support. That’s what we need to focus on – the light that guides you through the shadows.
I feel that ‘Fallen Snow’ is a song that everyone can relate to. If you’ve ever been rejected or told that you’re not good enough, lost someone you love, miss someone that’s no longer around – the world can be a pretty dark place. There is always someone, some being or something that never leads your side and gives you strength and hope to carry on and keep fighting – that’s all you’ll ever need”.
Released simultaneously with the album, “Fireflies” was written with Christine M Kerr after hitting it off at a songwriters retreat.
“Christine showed me some lyrics she was working on and I immediately gravitated towards them. She is extremely talented and I understood where she was coming from with the lyrics of this song”, says Andy. “Fireflies is a song written about the end of a relationship, reflecting on what you did wrong and how sometimes sorry isn’t enough. For me, it’s wishing that you could change the bad stuff you did and hoping that something magically could take you back and fix the relationship that you screwed up”.
In Ghostly Gums, Andy pays tribute to the farmers who have struggled and are still struggling. Andy describes them as the backbone of the great nation of Australia. The song is written by Kath Stewart, David Carter and Angela Bristow-Baohm
In October 2023, Andy released the single “Heavy On Me”. The song is about the importance of mental health, understanding the symptoms, and knowing when to reach out to friends, family or even strangers in times of need.
Andy says, What a lot of people don’t know about me is that despite my sometimes confident and strong exterior on the road performing at event after event, I have had to manage anxiety and self–doubt my entire life. ‘Heavy On Me’ is an empowering song about removing the stigma and shame around mental health and the importance of asking for help and acknowledging when you’re down.”
Andy wrote “Heavy On Me” with Shawn Moore and Doug Falkins. It will be included on the album “Shades On Me” due to be released in May 2024.
In February 2024, Andy released the single “Bottom Shelf” – a compelling preview of his fourth studio album “Shades On Me”. The album, recorded and produced in Ontario, Canada by the acclaimed Shawn Moore, was scheduled for release in May 2024.
“Bottom Shelf” takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through an old school country drinking song, featuring a gritty, bluesy tone that resonates with authenticity. The track invites audiences to traverse the winding lanes of memory, embracing the simplicity of life’s pleasures and detaching from the tumultuous drama that often surrounds us.
Speaking about the “Bottom Shelf”, Andy said: “Sometimes we have those days where nothing goes our way, whether it be work-related, relationships, or life in general, and everything feels like it’s falling apart. One constant that you can often rely on is a soothing cheap drink at the bar, free of judgement.”
The creative process behind the single was a collaborative effort, bringing together the talents of Andy Penkow and Canadian songwriters Shawn Moore and Jessica Sole. Expressing his enthusiasm for the project, Andy Penkow said: “I have really enjoyed the process of writing and recording this new single. I got to work with some incredible Canadian songwriters, Shawn and Jessica, who were able to provide a very interesting North American perspective to the song’s lyrics and composition.”
As a passionate artist dedicated to his craft, Andy emphasises the significance of “Bottom Shelf” as a true reflection of his artistic identity. “I’m so passionate about my music, and I’m really happy with how ‘Bottom Shelf’ turned out because the tone, vocals, and style of this single are such a strong reflection of the type of artist that I am. I put my heart and soul into everything that I do, and you can hear that in every line of the song.”
