Last Year's Model is the first album I (Andrew) finished when I moved to Los Angeles from Chicago. A few of the songs were done with Steve Shirk in Chicago prior to moving west, but all the music was finished in Los Angeles. It was a strange experience to put together a story about strong mixed feelings leaving a city and a place you've called home your whole life, and that's what this album is.
I broke up with my band in Chicago and it was immensely hard. Letting go of strained friendships and the feeling of failure, loss of community. The best time of my life was with that band, and my subsequent time living in the city of Chicago. Strange to reflect on that from a new city in a new state, where I am no one. Still today, I am no one. But I can listen to this record and sort of piece together my feelings on it all. At least I have that. Wondering if a relationship can withhold immense change (it has), wondering if music could be something I make on my own, for me (it is).
In some ways, I'm more of an artist now than I was during the timeline of this album. So much less bullshit and pomp. I gained a lot of autonomy, started recording when I felt like it rather than when I needed to. I miss those older days pretty deeply, as evidenced by these songs. I'll probably write an album about the days I'm currently living. I'm actually sort of doing that already. Anyway, thanks for listening and engaging. I hope you find some sort of familiarity with this story. It's arranged both geographically and chronologically. Have a great rest of the year.
Andrew
October 2022