For those who may be new to your music, how best would you describe your sound?
Andrew Wasylyk
I'd probably attempt to describe this album as ten songs of Baroque-pop, influenced by writers like Scott Walker, Nina Simone and Billy Mackenzie, by someone who wished they sounded a bit more Donald Fagen and Walter Becker... only to fail.
What challenges have you faced in the music industry so far?
The way we consume music and the decline of people walking in to record shops has obviously deeply shaped the industry in recent years. Many would say the model was flawed and unfair from the very beginning, of course. It's a continuing challenge. The ambition of writing and playing music as a sustainable occupation certainly seems to be a dwindling one, so I think it's important that musicians be resourceful and community spirited, more than ever now. Like a lot of The Arts, keep your enthusiasm intact and it'll probably make your work stronger. I'll spare you the Hunter S. Thompson quote with, 'support your local poet'.
How difficult would you say this career path is in terms of making a name for yourself?
The late Michael Marra once said, "I don't want my name in lights, I want my name in brackets." It's difficult for me to not subscribe to that. Few things compare to performing live, but writing's a catharsis as deep as you're willing to let it become. Even if no one is listening!
How important is it for you to have creative control over the work you produce?
Depends on the circumstances, really. If you're not fully committed to an idea it'll often trouble you down the line, so it's important to feel at least some sense of direction. Equally, I've been fortunate enough to collaborate with some wonderful people, in various roles, and I'm very thankful for those experiences. I learnt a great deal from them.
Where do you draw influence and inspiration from for your work?
Your environment. Records, writers, dilapidated bingo halls… that kind of thing.
If you could collaborate with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
There's lots of them. Someone like Annie Clark (St. Vincent) would be pretty cool. Aside from being an incredibly adept player, the broadness and depth of her output is so good.
Tell us a random, funny fact about you that not many people know.
Christmas morning, 1986. I clapped eyes on the Christmas tree and fainted in excitement. You laugh, but I think my parents thought I'd snuffed it.
Do you have definitive aims or goals for your career?
Goals can be dangerous things. Like anything, if you work hard with integrity (and you're not a d**k), good things will probably happen.
Where do you hope to be this time next year?
Somewhere I can say, "That was a nice Summer, wasn't it?"
What should we expect from you in the coming weeks and months?
'Soroky' comes out November 6th digitally and on vinyl, then I'll be touring the UK from the 8th. The dates are all at: www.wasylyk.co.uk