It’s not exactly what you’d call romantic, but Andrew Allen will never forget the way he spent his “landmark” birthday this past year.
In Lexington May 6 to play a street party with fellow Canadians the Barenaked Ladies during the Kentucky Derby week, Allen and his wife, Julia, found themselves booked in the only available accommodation in town.
Stuck under a Red Roof Inn, overlooking the local waffle house, they ended up making the most of the situation, which was helped along by drinking a few tall boys on the hotel patio.
“I didn’t want any of us to feel bad, so I said let’s embrace what we have, and we ended up having a great night,” said Allen, adding the good vibe was buoyed by the fact he and the Ladies got to perform for 17,000 people in the main core of the city that same day.
That hopeful optimism can be heard on most of Allen’s songs. He’s always looking at the silver lining of an imperfect day or situation, which has served him well as he has been travelling from town to town and radio station to radio station, doing promos, shows, and even hitting a red carpet this past year.
Back on familiar ground, Allen is about to perform the first concert in his hometown in more than a year, and he even has a new song to share with the crowd at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre.
“It’s called My Story Girl, and it’ll be my opening number. It is really upbeat and fun,” he said.
Allen has spent the past few weeks at the Vernon home he and Julia share, where he keeps a small studio in the garage and continues to write. It’s a place he seldom gets to visit these days.
It was exactly a year ago that he hit the road running, doing the first of many promo tours in the U.S. since he was signed to Epic Records, and also playing a number of opening dates with fellow singer-songwriter Josh Radin.
However, that first visit to the States came at a price.
“I went out on my own without Julia. Before then, we had always gone on the road together as she would help me book all my tours,” said Allen. “I ended up talking to my manager and asked if she could be my tour manager.”
After mulling it over, Julia was accepted to manage her husband’s next U.S. tour, and she surprised them all with her efficiency, said Allen
“We are thinking about writing a book about putting a marriage through the gauntlet –– working together and being on the road, but we make it work,” he said.
That tour included performances with Second Hand Serenade (actually the name of a solo artist) and band Plug-in Stereo. Allen also ducked out to do a show with Bruno Mars, Jay Sean and k.flay as well as three dates with Irish pop-rockers The Script.
Joined by two L.A.-based musicians on the road, drummer Nate Lotz and bassist Alex Balderston, Allen also performed a show for a California radio station in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, featuring Michelle Branch, One Republic and Parachute among other acts.
Back on Canadian turf, he did a small radio tour out east, and also played to thousands at the Pacific National Exhibition. However, it was a smaller gig in Vancouver where he ended up speechless, literally.
“I had laryngitis and we had already booked a show at the Media Club. I warned the audience I had no voice, but it didn’t matter as the audience sang back every word to my songs. (Vernon drummer) Dan Oldfield was there playing with me and he pulled out his ear monitors and looked at me in disbelief. He couldn’t believe it was happening. It was so inspiring. I was feeling a little deflated, thinking I’d maybe just do songwriting instead of performing, but after that show, I said I’m not going to give up.”
Forever the optimist, Allen’s songs have spoken to many with their sunny outlook.
With his hit single, Loving You Tonight, topping the charts in Canada and reaching #33 in the U.S., and also appearing on the soundtrack for action film Abduction (hence the aforementioned red carpet when Allen attended the film’s premiere), the singer-songwriter is keeping the momentum going.
His latest track, I Want You, which came out a month ago, also hit the top 10 on the Canadian adult contemporary charts. The video for the song was shot in Vancouver by Vernon-raised videographer Ryan Bouman.
The single, like Loving You Tonight, was recorded by Vancouver’s Ryan Stewart, who also produced Allen’s other top 10 Canadian hit I Wanna Be (Your Christmas).
“It was the most played song after Justin Bieber’s,” laughed Allen.
Those songs can be heard on a new mixtape, which also features another new track, Seven Days, and the full version of the song Allen wrote for a Kal Tire promotion called Roll with Me. (The album can be purchased online at andrewallenlive.com and at Big Sun Beachwear and Tanning as well as 104 Grey stores in Vernon, and will also be available at the concert.)
Released independently, the mixtape is in lieu of Allen’s already recorded album under the Epic label. Epic recently underwent new management with Sony Music hiring record executive L.A. Reid (of X Factor fame) to take over the label.
“We are waiting to see what changes and direction the label will be taking,” explained Allen. “The album is done. (However,) some artists are interested in the songs, and they’re getting old, so time will tell on what will happen… We’re going to keep moving forward.”
That includes another tour after the show in Vernon. Allen will be joining Dia Frampton (a finalist on the show The Voice) for a number of dates in the U.S. Locals will also be hearing the song, Your Time to Shine, which Allen recorded for the B.C. Winter Games being held in Vernon in February.
But first he is gearing up to play for his hometown fans, and has even enlisted the help of some music students from his former high school, Kalamalka Secondary (“where it all began,” he says) to help him.
“We’ll have three horn players, a cellist and some backup vocalists coming from the school,” he said.
Opening for the show will be Vancouver singer Stef Lang and Australian-by-the way-of Vancouver artist Colin Bullock.
“If you look at my iTunes playlist, his music is there the most,” said Allen. “I am excited to share them both with the audience here in Vernon.”
Allen’s Jan. 21 show at the Performing Arts Centre is now sold out, however a waiting list is available at the Ticket Seller, 549-7469.
