Brisbane artist Andy Ward has entered the music scene with his single Drinks & Money. Andy Ward is a musician/producer, multi-media artist and creative visionary. Drinks & Money is Ward’s debut, heavy with synth, steeped in torment and fizzing with tense restraint.
Ward described the song, by stating, “craving what we don’t have can destroy us”. In this way Drinks & Money describes how substance abuse can destroy interpersonal relationships. This is done though the track’s glitchy erraticism yet minimalist approach. The track was self-produced by Ward, working in conjunction with Levi Dowsett.
Drinks & Money has a similar sound to James Blake, Rufus or Flume. The track has a hauntingly sparse arrangement, centered on an electronic beat. The vocals have a robotic quality, similar to a Kanye West on 808s & Heartbreak. This works brilliantly in the backing parts of the song, but not so much on the emotional lead segments. The emotive singing instead clashes slightly with the auto-tune, making the delivery more monotonous. The vast lead melodies would have perhaps worked better clean, showing off Ward’s impressive voice instead of masking it in layers of effects. Where Drinks & Money excels is in the deep atmosphere that it creates. Not many upcoming artists have this much ambience or character in their music. Overall, Drinks & Money is an impressive first showing from Andy Ward.
Originally trained as a classical violinist, Ward describes his music as ‘rolling electronic ballads’. What is perhaps most exciting about Ward’s debut is his immersive multi-media live show, which will be coming soon. Ward promises engaging visual art installations, which will be an extension of his craft.
