On September 24, 2022, Connecticut native Drew Angus stepped onto the Seaside Stage in his hometown of Bridgeport at the Sound on Sound Festival. His classic sound mixed with the smoothness of his voice was a perfect way to kick off that stage. I had the honor to sit and interview him for Music, Why Not! after his set. As a fellow CT native, it was great to see someone local take the stage and capture the audiences attention.
MWN: How did it feel to be up there on that stage?
Drew: Pretty damn cool.
MWN: I saw that you used to do work at festivals, what was the turning point that made you want to be performing at a festival instead?
Drew: I got out of college and was already playing music, but wasn’t making a living out of it. It’s hard to do that. So I got a job as an event coordinator for a beverage brand and was working festivals like Governors Ball, while also playing music 7 nights a week.
MWN: So music was always in the picture for you?
Drew: Yeah! Music was always the path, it was just a lot of twists and turns to get here.
MWN: Right, music isn’t always seen as something sustainable, but I’m glad that you’re making it.
Drew: It is now somewhat sustainable!
MWN: If you had to describe your music in 2-3 words for someone who has never heard it, how would you describe it?
Drew: It’s more than 2-3 words, it’s like the intersection of Americana, Rock ‘n Roll, Pop, Alt Country, with some vocal fireworks.
MWN: What is your writing process like?
Drew: Melodies often come first with word ideas, then lyrics follow. But also, at the same time, sometimes a song can just come flooding in. Like “Wrecking Ball”, for example, was a song that came to be after I watched my childhood home literally be knocked down. My parents moved out and the house got knocked down. I immediately sat down at the piano that day and the first verse just poured out.
MWN: Do you have any inspirational places that you go to or is it more of a spur of the moment?
Drew: I think songwriting for me is more of a practice, if you wait for the inspiration to come then, you know, you’ll find something else to do.
MWN: Do you have any dream collaborations at the moment?
Drew: I would love to do something with Allen Stone, Noah Kahan – who’s playing here tomorrow – or The Lone Bellow.
MWN: Have you played any festivals before?
Drew: No, this is my first one!
MWN: So, what’s next for you?
Drew: Hopefully more of this! Much, much more of this. But I have a song, “Still No Fire” that comes out next Friday, September 30, it’s available for pre-save wherever you listen to music. I also have another cover that will come out in October and an original that comes out later in October. Plus more writing, more shows, here we go!
DREW ANGUS
Interview by Brittany Whitham | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!