Throughout four decades of writing, traveling and recording Andrew London has carved his own niche in the Kiwi music business, and amassed an enviable army of followers. Not being genre-specific, however, makes marketing difficult. Elements of blues, folk, country, jazz, western swing and English music hall are evident, and the lines between them joyously blurred.
Throughout two dozen albums of original songs, some recorded with his Hot Club Sandwich Trio, some with country band The Cattlestops, and some under his own name, his quirky songs gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) lampoon our Kiwi obsessions, attitudes and taboos with witty and playful lyrics that ‘would evoke a smile of agreement from Mose Allison or Dave Frishberg’, (Downbeat USA).
Recent reviewers of Andrew’s songs have made comparisons to the late John Clarke (who admitted to being a fan), Tim Minchin, Flanders and Swann, Tom Lehrer…even Noel Coward, and after a recent appearance live on NZ’s National Radio, one commentator remarked ‘The Andrew London Trio are Flight of the Conchords for Rest Homes!’.
The 2020 lockdown enabled Andrew and his bass-playing wife Kirsten to focus on their duo performance, honing their repertoire into a more stripped-down package, with satire, irony and his signature ‘wordsmithery’ to the fore.
His songs have been included in a national year 13 English syllabus, National Radio’s ‘Greatest Song Ever Written’ segment, feature films (including the recent award-winning biopic ‘No Ordinary Sheila’) and European swing music compilations. He is the only Kiwi act in recent times to have performed in Saudi Arabia.
