“Singing gospel music is an ineffective birth control.”
A 16 year old gospel singer from the foothills of Appalachia is branded a Jezebel by her community when she becomes pregnant while traveling the gospel circuit. Sung from the point of view of the woman’s daughter, we see the wreckage of religious trauma passed on through generations with no hint of reprieve.
“Appalachian Folk-Jazz”
Imagine 90’s era Joni Mitchell visits East Tennessee.
Hailing from the foothills of Appalachia, Andi Marie is a proud East Tennessean. Her wayward, whimsical branchings never betray her deep hillbilly roots. Roots and wings: she continues the traditional storytelling suffrage of her ancestors while allowing open chords to fling glints of new hope and idealism into the ether. Her vocal range mirrors that of her Smokey Mountains: winking with mystique in its deep, lush thickets and humbly cresting to a tearful mist.
A strong hometown presence, Andi has performed in famed venues such as The Bijou, The Tennessee Theater, and Rugby’s Historic Rebecca Johnson Theater. She has also been featured on WDVX & WVLT.
At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive that this soulful siren traces her musical beginnings to the Southern gospel circuit. She started traveling with her mother at the tender age of 6, singing in various churches, religious functions and conferences around the South East. At age 12, she began her professional acting career in regional theaters such as The Cumberland County Playhouse.
Described by some as an “Appalachian Joni Mitchell”, Andi Marie’s music combines intricate melodies and free form folk-jazz phrasing. Her stylized raspy alto has been compared to the sultry voices of Sade and Karen Carpenter. While her musical influences run the gamut from Pheobe Snow to Donal Fagan, her lyrics are primarily consumed with retrospective self-analysis and she often finds herself re-contextualizing the archetypes of her early Pentecostal upbringing.
Andi’s move to Nashville was quickly followed by her 2016 release of debut album “Years of the Horse.” It maturely captures the essence and complexities of Andi Marie’s inspiration in a cohesive way. The EP has great depth, but is accessible; it’s intellectual, but catchy; you can dive equally into the sensory experience of the music and the esoteric experience of the art.
Since “Years of the Horse,” Andi has remained active in the Nashville music scene with shows and live streaming performances. Her newest single “Sins of Eve” is scheduled for release on April 16th, 2021 on all streaming platforms.