{"id":20050,"date":"2020-12-02T00:33:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-02T07:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/?p=20050"},"modified":"2020-12-02T00:33:46","modified_gmt":"2020-12-02T07:33:46","slug":"video-feature-interview-andy-gullahorn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/2020\/12\/video-feature-interview-andy-gullahorn\/","title":{"rendered":"Video Feature  &#038; Interview Andy Gullahorn"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h1>Artist:\u00a0 <strong>ANDY GULLAHORN<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h1>Video:\u00a0 \u201c<strong>The End of a World<\/strong>\u201d<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_GRJEc7magc\" width=\"660\" height=\"420\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><strong>ANDY GULLAHORN AT BLUE ROCK ALIVE! <em>COOL NIGHTS 2020<\/em> <\/strong><strong>THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Andy Gullahorn was a Kerrville New Folk Winner in 2010 and was a runner-up at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. After graduating from Belmont University in Nashville, Gullahorn spent a number of years as a staff writer for publishing companies while playing guitar on the road for singer\/songwriter Jill Phillips (who he happened to be married to). Since 2005, he\u2019s released 4 solo albums and a Christmas album with Phillips.<\/p>\n<p>Andy Gullahorn will be featured at the Blue Rock aLive! <em>Cool Nights 2020<\/em> virtual concert series this Thursday, December 3. The series is \u201cfor the songs, for the artists, for all of us.\u201d You can buy a Season Pass for only $105\u2014and have a seat in the house by sending in your headshot. They will place the large headshot on a seat, so you will literally be <em>sitting<\/em> in the room.<\/p>\n<p>Blue Rock\u2019s innovation, quality and creativity is evidenced in concerts produced with broadcast quality audio-video from their renowned Texas room\u2014streamed straight to you. Individual tickets can also be purchased for $25: <a href=\"https:\/\/bluerocktexas.com\/events\">https:\/\/bluerocktexas.com\/events<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Andy Gullahorn\u2019s\u00a0songs transport the listener on a journey where they can visualize and feel the emotions of his lyrics.We talked with him about how a well of songs can spring out of a songwriting drought, how he has focused on the immediate world around him, how he remains hopeful and hopes to help others make sense of the confusion of these times and how he has come to realize it\u2019s the small things that matter and everything is as it should be.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>ANDY GULLAHORN <\/strong>Interview<br \/>\nwith\u00a0<strong><em>M Music &amp; Musicians<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>magazine publisher,<strong> Merlin David<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tell us the story behind a song you\u2019ll play at Blue Rock\u2019s <em>Cool Nights 2020<\/em>.<br \/>\n<\/strong>I wrote the song \u201cVillage\u201d after Hurricane Harvey affected many people. I lived in the Houston area. I was kind of paralyzed\u2014unsure of how to help. Writing this song helped move me out of my paralysis by paying attention to the world around me. I visited Houston and was so inspired when I saw the millions of ways neighbors were helping each other. It reminded me that even when things seem so out of control and hopeless, we can still do small things out of love for the community around us. There are still many ways that the world seems too big to change. This song challenged me to start with changing the space around me. On a good day, I think I can rise to the challenge.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20055\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-04.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-04.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-04-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-04-300x300.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did the idea of \u201cThe End of the World\u201d come to you?<\/strong><br \/>\nI wrote it after witnessing a tragic incident that ended with the loss of a beautiful 3-year-old daughter of good friends. I remember driving home that evening and my own young daughter asked me how people could be walking down the street\u2014smiling, as if nothing horrible just happened. I thought of all the normal, every-day actions that seemed profane in the light of the tragedy and suffering that we had just encountered. This song was, among other things, my way of wrestling with the questions surrounding that kind of suffering. It was a difficult song to write. I spend a lot of time trying not to feel. I would just get stuck. But I kept going back to the thought my daughter said. It\u2019s important to let yourself feel something when you write.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What did you learn about yourself after recording <em>Everything as It Should Be<\/em>?<\/strong><br \/>\nMost of the songs from this record came after my own songwriting drought of 2016. I wondered if I was going to write another song again. I kept trying to write big songs that would heal the world and I just couldn\u2019t do it. The songs on this record taught me that I don\u2019t have to heal the world. There is real value in focusing on the immediate world around me\u2014and just trying to make a difference here. If there is a life-changing song, it will happen by accident.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h1><strong><em>Andy Gullahorn\u2019s\u00a0songs transport the listener on a journey where they can visualize and feel the emotions of his lyrics.<\/em><\/strong><strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Tell us about one of your newer songs \u201cSmall Things Matter.\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nI wrote it thinking about the important things I wanted to instill in my son before sending him off to college. It was inspired by a routine I have of walking a mile and a half every week to give a friend a high five. We kind of started doing it as a joke, but it has turned into a really rich experience in my life. Somehow, we have been doing this walk every week now for the past 6 1\/2 years and it has meant so much to our friendship. With this song, I wanted my son to know that there is great purpose in being faithful in the small things and routines in life.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20054\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-03.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-03.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-03-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who originally inspired you to write songs?<\/strong><br \/>\nI grew up listening to country and folk music. Some of my favorite songwriters, when I really started paying attention to songs, were John Gorka and Hugh Prestwood. Not long after I started writing songs, someone introduced me to the music of David Wilcox. I was immediately attracted to the way he could tell a story while encouraging personal growth and healing through the song. I remember thinking that was what I wanted to do when I grow up. It is still what I want to do when I grow up. (<em>Laughs<\/em>)<\/p>\n<p><strong>What songwriting tip would you like to offer?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019m not the best at daily routine writing. After the drought, I had to put a guitar in my path\u2014walk by the guitar so that I had to play it. One of my favorite songwriting tips came from David. He told me not to write just about who I was but to \u201cwrite into who I want to become.\u201d I think of it as letting the song pave the way in front of me in the direction that I would love to go. So when I want to be a better friend, I write a song as if I was that better friend. It gives me something to aspire to.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What instruments<\/strong><strong>\/equipment can you not live without?<\/strong><br \/>\nI bought my Larrivee C-10 acoustic guitar back when I was in college and have used it to play on every record I have ever recorded\u2014even when playing for anyone else. I have owned a number of Larrivee guitars and have always been a huge fan of them. This C-10 is by far my favorite guitar I have ever played. When I am on the road, I love using my LR Baggs Venue and Baggs pickups. I love how they keep the natural sound of the guitar\u2014like you\u2019d hear if you have your ear against the guitar. You don\u2019t have to use a lot of EQ. I also love using my Ear Trumpet Edwina mic for certain live shows.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20053\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-02.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-02.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-02-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What about accessories?<\/strong><br \/>\nKyser Capos are easy to use and reliable\u2014they hold the tuning well. I play in open tunings, a lot. I change turning almost after every song. Kysers are just so easy to use. They have always lasted for me and they do the job. I\u2019ve used D\u2019Addario Strings for a long time. I have a Rode NTK mic and a couple of Audio-Technica 4033s. I use Pro Tools, Mackie reference monitors and Sennheiser HD 280 headphones.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which Top 5 Musicians\u00a0inspired you to become a musician?<\/strong><br \/>\nDavid Wilcox, Pierce Pettis, John Gorka, James Taylor, Neil Finn.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is it about Pierce Pettis that inspires you?<\/strong><br \/>\nYou\u2019d be hard-pressed to find a better lyricist than Pierce. The angle he takes\u2014so beautifully done. It\u2019s honest and comes straight from his heart. Gorka and Wilcox are the same.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are your Top 5 favorite albums of all time?<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Big Horizon<\/em> (1994) \u2014 David Wilcox<br \/>\n<em>Marc Cohn<\/em> (1991) \u2014 Marc Cohn<br \/>\n<em>Try Whistling This<\/em> (1998) \u2014 Neil Finn<br \/>\n<em>Almost and Always<\/em> (2009) \u2014 David Mead<br \/>\n<em>Bachelor No. 2\u2026<\/em> (2000) \u2014 Aimee Mann<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tell us a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment when you thought \u201c<em>Wow, this is really happening to me!<\/em>\u201d<\/strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em>I have already written a lot about David Wilcox, but I have to say that every time we write together, play shows together or just share a meal together is a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment. Calling him a friend is one of the great gifts of my life. Also, getting to play some events with one of the nicest guys in Nashville, Vince Gill, is amazing. He is one of the most talented people I have ever encountered and is even more kind and generous.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20052\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-01.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-01.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-01-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the best advice someone has given you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was lucky enough to do a few events with author Eugene Peterson. He spent most of his life as a pastor of a small church. He helped teach me that small things really matter. I have always felt connected and comfortable with more intimate show environments where I could engage with the people who came to listen, but felt like I should have the drive to outgrow such things and expand my reach.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The best advice you\u2019d like to give upcoming musicians?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Find what makes you come alive as an artist and don\u2019t compare it to someone else\u2019s dream. There is room enough in the world for all of us to bring our own unique gifts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you remain hopeful in this strange and unique socio-political time?<br \/>\n<\/strong>It is certainly difficult, but I feel I am especially equipped to carry hope through this kind of time. As a self-employed musician for the last 20+ years, there have been many lean years and many changes in the industry. I recorded my first record on 2-inch tape. A good part of my income used to be from physical CD sales. Part of being a musician has required being able to adapt to new situations. Being a traveling singer-songwriter is the most non-essential job on the hierarchy of essential workers. That\u2019s okay. But I am finding that it isn\u2019t as non-essential as some people might imagine. During times like these, we all need artists in this world to help make sense of the confusion, suffering and grieving\u2014and to build a bridge across the divisions. Although the immediate future is uncertain, I am not anxious about it. I couldn\u2019t stop wanting to write songs even if I tried. There are many generous people out there who care enough to make sure that artists can survive through these difficult days.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20051\" src=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-06.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-06.jpeg 660w, https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Andy-Gullahorn-06-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Where can new fans get more info and stay updated?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.andygullahorn.com\/\">www.AndyGullahorn.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instagram: @andygullahorn<\/p>\n<p>Twitter: @AndyGullahorn<\/p>\n<p>Facebook.com\/andygullahornofficial\/<\/p>\n<p>YouTube.com\/andygull<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Video Feature &amp; Web-Exclusive Interview Artist:\u00a0 ANDY GULLAHORN Video:\u00a0 \u201cThe End of a World\u201d\u00a0 \ufeff ANDY GULLAHORN AT BLUE ROCK ALIVE! COOL NIGHTS 2020 THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3 Andy Gullahorn was a Kerrville New Folk Winner in 2010 and was a runner-up at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival. After graduating from Belmont University in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7725],"tags":[12494,4791,12495,12496,12497,3251,4955,12498,8271,11644,11616,9481,12499,11385,9569,12500,12501,12502,9490,9429,12503,12504,12505,12506,11646,12507,12508,9494,11799,12509,1624,12510,12511,3614,12512,141,10385,12190,8299,9849,9850,12513,12514,12515,12516,7495,12518,12517,7566,12519,12520,4975,3010,7978,9128,12200,12201,806,142,12521,12522,12523,12524,12525,12526,2822,12527],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20050"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20056,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20050\/revisions\/20056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}