New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats formed in Asheville NC as a street busking project in late 2011. Revered for their high energy live shows, dynamic musicianship & Scotchie's larger than life stage presence, the band has continued to craft their hard driving style of rock & blues and are dedicated to building their musical family everywhere they go. Consistent studio recordings, year round touring, earnest songwriting & sharing show bills with legends such as
Sonny Landreth,
Blind Boys of Alabama, Drivin N Cryin and Bettye Lavette has made Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats one of the industry's must-watch bands.
Andrew will be doing a tour of select US cities in March 2017 in support of his bands forthcoming studio material and his latest solo single "Always With You". Andrew's most recent studio album "We All Stay Hungry" was recorded at Eagle Room Studios in Weaverville NC and recently did some tracking/mixing at Rotted One Note Studios in Arden NC.
Says Andrew, "With the new recordings, we are striving to show fans old and new how much the band has evolved. The Rats and I never really play a show the same way or play a song the same way. We want to show people how we like to keep things fresh and continue to honor our influences. Since our inception, we have been such big fans of ALL kinds of music but within the past few years we have really began to incorporate different styles and genres into our brand of rock 'n' roll. There are now elements of jazz, rockabilly, funk and psychedelic all held together by bare bones rock 'n' roll and blues.
"The newer songs speak to the power of resiliency, the ups and downs of working in the music industry, relationships and the importance of family. I have also continued to write about my father Tom who was murdered on my 15th birthday. Tom was a big reason I got hooked on rock 'n' roll music and the lessons I learned from him in those 15 years I had him in my life continue to resonate with me everyday. I have several new songs that reflect back on memories with him or ways he taught me to love people and be the best person I can be. A big part of my writing is still about honoring my dad and doing something constructive with such a tragic loss. Its been really uplifting to see people respond so well to that message too. It makes me feel like I'm not alone."
Featuring:
Andrew Scotchie - guitar/songs/vocals
Eliza Hill - drums
Keith Harry - bass
Alex Bradley - trumpet
Kyle Snuffer - trombone
Lenny Pettinelli - keyboards/synth
Tour dates:
Tuesday 3/21 - Colonial Tavern (Solo) (Fredericksburg, VA)
Wednesday 3/22 - Vinyl Lounge (Washington, DC)
Thursday 3/23 - The Tin Pan (Richmond, VA)
Friday 3/24 - Hard Times (Fredericksburg, VA)
Saturday 3/25 - Smokehouse Live (Leesburg, VA)
Friday 3/31 -
Highland Brewing (Asheville, NC)
Saturday 4/1 - Sugarlands Distilling Company (Gatlinburg, TN)
Here's what the press has raved about Andrew Scotchie:
"Delivered as if on a platter made of rust and steel, Scotchie's music borrows from the grit of the Rolling Stones. He and The River Rats bind it with elements of old school soul and Lightnin' Hopkins blues into a rhythm that rocks with purity." - Tom Netherland, Bristol TN Herald
"Scotchie's vocals adhere to a classic blues style complete with the occasional shouts that would make
James Brown proud." - Ted Kendrick, Asheville Current
"Andrew Scotchie on the surface represents in many ways the musical youth movement that continues to spread throughout the streets of Asheville and beyond. He's hard working, immensely talented and beyond committed to elevating his band, the River Rats, to new heights of success." - Bob Forte, AskAsheville
"....there's no true notion of regional blues without Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats, led by the wunderkind of the local scene. Scotchie is a soulful cyclone of a performer nurtured in the classic-rock oeuvre who, at only 23 years old, produces the local festival Asheville Barnaroo and leads his vibrant crew on a near-constant touring schedule." - AUSTINE MILLER , Bold Life Magazine
"Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats' second studio album (We All Stay Hungry) marks an elemental step forward in the band's hard-driving sound." - Kyle Sherard, WNC MAGAZINE
Along with the release of the new single and forthcoming tour, Andrew is working on a new video as well. Andrew recently did a WNCW studio B session - watch the video here:
In closing Andrew has this to impart, "Well since a very early age, I've always noticed how much of a positive impact rock n roll can have on people. I can only hope that when people see the Rats and I live or listen to the albums that they feel uplifted and unified by the energy of the music. To me energy is one of the most important parts of what we do.
Music has given me a family and I really try to push the importance of strong relationships in my songs. I also think a lot of the message supports the idea of following ones dreams and not giving up on them. The band started when I was 17 and there were numerous times where we could have given or called it quits but we stuck with it because its our calling. Everyone should follow their dreams and never feel inhibited by situations or people around them. Now more than ever in our country, people are compelled to do what makes them happy and I have always lived like that. We are on this earth for a short amount of time. Too short not to do what makes us happy."
To purchase Andrew Scotchie's "Always With You" single: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/always-with-you-single/id1136978771
Video:
WNCW
Studio B performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJQqeA9SVyI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTyUJZ0dugo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeW4Zoh-ve4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5sUw4aLQh8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u2TFvsNY0I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYK2ZJWel8k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrwRgEs8tPA
Social media/website:
www.andrewscotchiemusic.com ;
www.facebook.com/TheRiverRatsAVL
https://twitter.com/TheRiverRatsAVL
Awards/Career Achievements
Voted the # 1 Rock N Roll band in WNC by Mountain Xpress Magazine 2015 & 2016
The band's latest album "We All Stay Hungry" was included in WNC Magazines top 5 summer albums in 2015.
Scotchie was the musical ambassador for Asheville NC at the Crown of the Continent Guitar Fest in Big Fork Montana in the fall of 2016. Scotchie took workshops and collaborated with the likes of Dweezil Zappa, Shane Theriot and more.
Charlotte NC
Music Awards (Blues) winner (2014) and Hollywood
Music in Media Blues Award Nominee (2014)
