We recently connected with Andrew Wakefield and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

The term “regular job” is funny to me, because most of the time my work feels like one. I guess if someone has a job that is rewarding or challenging and gives meaning to their life, or they just get to work with people they enjoy being around, it’s not a “regular job”. I worked a lot of jobs before doing music full time: bartending, waiting tables, landscaping, sales rep at a call center, putting up billboards, growing weed, vending at music festivals, flipping burritos…the list is longer than I care to admit! The worst one by far was the call center—they put you in this tiny cubicle, monitor every second of your day, and constantly breathe down your neck to make sales. I remember a call from an old man about a gimmicky exercise machine we sold through infomercial(it was a rip-off). He had just enough money in his bank account for the product and I just couldn’t bring myself to push it on him. I lasted about a month there. Now I spend hours on the computer doing booking, promoting, networking, and driving all day, playing back-to-back-to-back shows for peanuts and getting home late, being away from my wife most of the time…it’s a job. But getting to play with great musicians and connecting with audiences who are there for the music makes it all worth it. Am I happy? I think so. Sometimes I’m not happy with my progress, or not happy about dealing with certain types of people, or getting nickel-and-dimed by venues. But if I zoom out and look at the big picture I feel really blessed.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a bluegrass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. I perform mostly in the southeast, though I hope to expand that range in time. I released a record called Bluegrassish in April that I’m really proud of and hope your readers will take a moment to give it a listen.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

One thing I think most up-and-coming musicians would appreciate is an eagerness from audiences for original material. Asheville is a really special place in that regard. People here genuinely want to hear new songs and can be turned off by a band that just plays “the hits”. Maybe because there are so many talented artists here they’ve come to expect quality when a performer offers up something fresh, or maybe it’s just a cultural thing. Hard to say, but it sure is great! This is more directed towards venue owners, but another thing is the importance of a scene and a musical community. There aren’t many establishments with the intention of cultivating a space that musicians frequent even when they’re not performing. Somewhere they go to hang out, talk shop, watch their peers play, and where they’re treated like family. There’s a chapter in David Byrne’s book How Music Works about how important it is and how the CBGB club was a musician’s haven and the epicenter of the local scene at the time. Shout-out to Jack of the Wood in Asheville for cultivating a scene for bluegrass musicians.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I used to be really hard on myself after a performance that I felt was lacking or not good enough. But I’ve come to realize that many times, the shows I consider my worst are the ones audiences liked the most. Often the band will finish a set feeling like we completely blew it and then there’s a line of people waiting to tell you how amazing it was. So I had to unlearn the notion that I am a good judge of what is musically “good” live, if that makes sense. There’s no way to know exactly what aspects of your performance an audience will enjoy the most so just giving it your best every time is all you can do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andrewwakefield.net
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/wakefieldmusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/wakefieldmusic
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@wakefield-music

Image Credits
Martin Seelig – Main Photo