Last month Newcastle 20-year-old newcomer Andrew Cushin shared his new single ‘Waiting For the Rain‘. Raising the bar from his compelling debut It’s ‘Gonna Get Better’. the track proves that Andrew has a rare talent for channelling personal anguish into cathartic songwriting with a maturity beyond his young age.
‘Waiting For The Rain’ is the very first song that Andrew wrote when he was just 15-years-old. It was inspired by tumultuous events. After witnessing a family argument, upset Andrew ran off to a friend’s house where he explained what happened in the garden. The song’s hook captures the vulnerability of that moment in devastatingly candid fashion: “I’m hanging by the fire, the flames are raising higher, I’m waiting for the rain.”
Long after the dust settled, Andrew posted ‘Waiting For The Rain’ on social media and it quickly amassed 20,000 views without any promotion or him having any existing profile. It even captured the attention of Noel Gallagher, who praised Andrew’s “great natural voice.”
The ‘Waiting For The Rain’ video captures Andrew in his hometown environment. Downstairs in St. Peter’s Social Club, it’s business as usual: football blares from the TV and darts thud against the board as talk from the regulars fills the air. Meanwhile Andrew is performing in the function room upstairs, captivating an intimate audience with nothing more than his voice, a guitar and his stories of his life in the local area.
Although he’s now making waves in music, Andrew Cushin’s first passion was football. He used to play as a goalkeeper for the non-league side Newcastle Benfield’s youth team, which inadvertently changed the course of his life. When his coach asked him to help train the younger players, the pair bonded over a shared interest in artists such as Oasis, The Beatles, Paul Weller, Pete Doherty, Richard Ashcroft, Foals and Damien Rice. With a background in music, the coach soon discovered that Andrew had a real flair for songwriting and became his manager – the start of a rise which is set to continue deep into the future.
Check out ‘Waiting For The Rain’ below!
We caught up with Andrew as he spoke about his latest single and more!
How has your latest single ‘Waiting For The Rain’ gone down so far?
I don’t think it’s gone down to bad to be honest, the streaming numbers are picking up and it’s getting some great reviews.
Can you tell us something about the single no one else knows?
It’s absolutely huge. Big names on that track and a big dreamy guitar solo…
Will you be releasing an album/EP this year at all?
In an ideal world I’d love to have an EP out before Christmas, we will have to wait and see if that can materialise as obviously this year hasn’t gone to plan at all! In terms of an album that’s a long long way off at the minute, but definitely one day.
What was your first reaction when you heard that Noel Gallagher took interest in your music?
I was in a state of total shock, I still can’t believe I have someone like Noel Gallagher in my corner. That man has changed my life. I owe everything to him, top top bloke.
What’s the most you are missing about live gigs?
Just getting out the house really. I’m stuck with 3 lasses, 3 pugs and a french bulldog … lockdown has been tough.
Would you say your main passion now is singing, or would you still one day want to play football also?
Of course! I’m in an amazing position where singing and performing has became my job! Football will always be a huge part of my life and I still miss it immensely, however looking at the bigger picture it’s not worth me playing football and risking injury that could impact my job. I was a goalkeeper and I’ve lost count of how often I’d injure my hands, head, shoulders etc… diving at people’s feet and playing the guitar don’t go together haha!