Andrew Sa American Rough
Over the past few years, country and folk music have introduced listeners to artists moving beyond some of the genre’s long-standing stereotypes. Boy Golden has explored identity, Joshua Ray Walker has turned personal hardship into powerful songwriting, and now Andrew Sa, whose debut solo album American Rough was released on June 26 via Bloodshot Records, brings another deeply personal perspective to contemporary country music. Yet, this story is far from new. Long before today’s generation, Patrick Haggerty and his band Lavender Country were already challenging conventions in the early 1970s, becoming one of the first openly gay country groups. Haggerty was more than an influence on Andrew Sa—he became a mentor and a friend. It is to him that Sa pays tribute on the moving “Lavender Cowboy.”
As he tells it, “I was chasing that elusive happy/sad bop, writing most of the song on my tenor guitar in a hotel room near Seattle following Patrick’s Celebration of Life. He inspired countless people and I wanted to capture the essence of that. There’s an old novelty song by the same name that’s rather homophobic, so I also hope to rewrite the narrative on the ‘Lavender Cowboy.'”
That said, it would be a mistake to reduce Andrew Sa to the label of “queer cowboy.” While homosexuality is an important thread running through the record, American Rough reaches far beyond it. Throughout the album, Sa reveals himself as a remarkably sensitive songwriter whose understated delivery occasionally recalls the lyrical elegance of Roy Orbison, whether on “Follow” or on the opening track, American Rough, where his tremolo-tinged voice drifts above piano and a subtle jazz-inflected horn arrangement. On songs such as “Under You” and “Love Songs,” he also reminds us of the warm, introspective sound of Laurel Canyon.
The album began taking shape in 2021, when Andrew Sa developed its first ideas alongside Liam Kazar. He later enlisted producer H.C. McEntire and surrounded himself with a remarkable group of musicians: Luke Norton (piano, guitar), Casey Toll (bass), TJ Maiani and Spencer Tweedy (drums and percussion), Nick Broste (trombone), Hunter Diamond (saxophone), Ivan Pyzow (trumpet), Allyn Love (pedal steel), and Macie Stewart (violin). Recorded primarily at Fidelitorium in Kernersville, North Carolina, with additional sessions at Fox Hall in Chicago, American Rough was co-produced, engineered, and mixed by Missy Thangs.
More information is available here on his website: https://www.andrewsamusic.com