Driven by lyrical content, nostalgia and the desire to cover some of his favourite songs, Andrew Combs started recording ‘5 Covers & A Song’ with the intention of showcasing one of his favourite artists, Loudon Wainwright III. “‘4 x 10’ sparked the initial idea to record a collection of covers. Jordan Lehning (producer) and I had a bonding moment over this tune and how perfect we thought it was. In fact, we even thought of doing the whole EP of just Loudon songs. In my opinion he is one of the few writers who can cover the territory of familial relationships in such a shrewd and comfortable manner.”

The idea evolved from a singularly influenced EP into an album that showcases songwriting and stylistic influences as well. “I wanted at least a couple of these tunes on the EP to be nostalgic for me. I was a huge fan of The Strokes’ two first records when I was in high school. My friends and I used to dress like them – I had a white belt and white chucks I’d rock every day! I actually have Radiohead to thank for getting me into music. I remember the exact moment when my friend passed me a burned CD of ‘Amnesiac’ in history class one day. I was probably 14. It was my first Radiohead record, and I worked back in their catalog from there, loving everything I heard. They still mean a lot to me as a band. Everything they do pushes into new territory – music, lyrics, artwork, etc…”

The idea continued into including some of his favourite songwriters/musicians. “We all know that Blake Mills is a tremendous guitar player, but it’s his knack for songwriting and arranging that keeps me coming back to his records. Lucinda [Williams] is the queen of songwriting in my book. No one else can portray a picture like her. She’s up there with Tom Waits, Townes and Guy Clark when it comes to words. I wanted a love song on the EP – something that came from a feeling of adoration. It’s a simple bed of music that her words dance on, but the build of the tune helps portray the yearning for someone. I couldn’t be happier with this version. I’d like to think Lucinda would enjoy it as well.”

The final track on the album, ‘Expectations’, is the sole original track on the release. “This is a tune Sarah Siskind and I came up with on a rainy afternoon here in Nashville. We got to talking about relationships. I remember repeating a quote from a friend, saying, ‘you only get what you expect,’ meaning that if you have expectations about someone close to you, positive or negative, they most likely will come true in your mind. I guess it’s sort of about that.”

‘5 Covers & A Song’ is a snapshot of the influences that helped shape Andrew Combs as a songwriter as well as a display of how he has honed his craft.