Some musicians find the blues. With Andy Gunn, it was the other way round. He grew up in a rock and roll household where AC/DC tapes were usually playing in the background, and at 13 he picked up his brother’s beaten-up acoustic guitar. That was the moment it hit him: the blues had him, and it never let go.
That moment is the root of ‘Too Many Guitars to Give Up Now’, the album the Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist first released on 22 October 2017. With its 10th anniversary coming next year, it’s getting an extended re-release and an exclusive new video.
Recorded live on vintage analogue equipment in Edinburgh, the 12 tracks carry the organic warmth of classic blues, folk and roots sessions. The record also marks a turn towards acoustic restraint, with storytelling and fingerpicked textures sitting right alongside the electric blues he came up on. Start with the delicate flat-picked opener ‘Misery Blues’, then the foot-stomping country blues of ‘Let You Go’, featuring Spider MacKenzie, and finish on the soaring title track.
The title came from a lighthearted moment, when someone asked him about the size of his instrument collection. “Put it this way, I’ve got too many guitars to give up now!” he replied.
Behind the joke is a harder story. Andy contracted HIV and Hepatitis C in his youth through contaminated blood products, and he has overcome cancer twice. The album stands as a record of healing, resilience and musicianship that refused to quit.
His playing has drawn comparisons with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Uncut called him “an exceptionally fine guitarist”, and Blues in Britain wrote that his guitar work “is truly exceptional, whether playing sumptuous slides, gutsy riffs or intricate interludes.” He lists Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Martin Stephenson among his influences.
Those hands have earned their place on some serious stages. He has supported Buddy Guy, jammed with Albert Collins, and played the Half Moon in Putney, The Cluny in Newcastle and the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, along with festival appearances across the UK. After the album’s first release, he signed endorsement deals with Duesenberg Guitars of Germany and St. Blues Guitars of Memphis.
The renewed push comes at a good time. His recent track ‘Rainbow Bird’ was warmly received and re-established his voice in the contemporary UK roots scene, giving fans a glimpse of where his sound is heading. Writing sessions for the next album are already underway.
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PR: Decent Music PR
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