ANDREA GODIN HAS THE GOODS!

Interview by Randall B. Jones – Photos by Andrea Hunter, Norm Marriott & Scott Reynolds

Sometimes great music is found in the least expected places. One of those places is a small town surrounded by farming and agriculture called St. George located in southern Ontario, Canada. It is here you will find a young female vocalist that has been singing since the age of 3 whose voice will simply blow you away. Her name is Andrea Godin and her voice can best be described as a cross between Christina Aguilera and Leona Lewis. This young lady has a unique sound that can seamlessly maneuver between the genres of Pop, R&B, Dance and Country. You simply would not expect to hear such a sound coming from such a rural place. Andrea also writes her own music, plays an instrument and is an avid dancer. She has years of experience performing at various venues, festivals and charity events which has helped to build up her name in local areas. Here’s your opportunity to get to know more about this rising star and see why we at Nine5Four Magazine are so enamored by her talent. The lesson that industry insiders will take from her interview is that, “Good things can be found in small places!”

Hello Andrea and thank you for giving us a little bit of your time today.

[ANDREA] Thanks so much for having me in your magazine!

You’re quite welcome. Now, let’s not beat around the bush for one minute. Where in the world did you get that beautifully strong yet soulful voice from?

[ANDREA] I think it has a lot to do with my influences and the artists that I’ve listened to while growing up. Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, and Mariah Carey are artists that I’ve looked up to my whole life and they all have such amazing powerful voices. That’s something that I’ve always strived to have and I’ve worked hard for it!

(Jokingly…) Are you sure you’re from a small farming town outside of Ontario? What is the music scene like in your hometown?

[ANDREA] Let’s just say there’s not a lot of people around here that are doing my genre of music…haha! Most artists and bands in this area do either rock or country music so at times it’s difficult for my music to fit in. Luckily, I live an hour away from Toronto which has a very diverse music scene and there’s always lots of opportunities for all genres there.

I’m really feeln’ the Urban/Pop/Country vibe your music has. This makes you quite a triple threat. It’s really hard to believe someone hasn’t signed you up yet. Who do you get compared most to in the industry?

[ANDREA] The person I get compared to most is Alicia Keys. She’s one of my idols so it’s always a huge compliment when someone says that to me!

I understand that you write your own songs and play an instrument. What prompt you to learn to do both?

[ANDREA] I play guitar and I’m so thankful that I took the time to learn that instrument. It has been such an awesome songwriting tool and I’ve written many songs on it. One day I just decided that it would be awesome to be able to play guitar and sing on stage, so I signed up for guitar lessons and made it happen!

Tell me about Dave McWilliams and what role has he played in your development as an artist.

[ANDREA] Dave was actually the person who got me into songwriting when I was 14. He’s helped me develop my writing skills throughout the years and now I’m at a point where I can be very confident with the songs I write. He started as my guitar teacher then ended up becoming one of my producers. We’ve been very successful so far and have gotten songs published on national television and have our songs on several radio stations.

Let’s get into your debut album entitled simply “ANDREA”. What does this album have in store for the listeners?

[ANDREA] I was beyond excited to release this album! The songs on my CD cover a wide range of emotions. There are happy songs, sad songs, and then there are the party tracks and the tracks that have an angrier vibe. I spent so much time and effort on the album and I made sure every one of the songs was done the best that I could possibly do them!

Being that you wrote each song on the album, I’d like to know what was your motivation or inspiration behind writing this collection of songs.

[ANDREA] Every song on the album was inspired by exactly how I was feeling at that time. Usually I write about things that happen in my life, but sometimes when I run out of things to write about, I look into what’s going on in other people’s lives and get song ideas from that! I always try to write tunes that many people can relate to.

I honestly like each track on your album BUT, I have to say that “Bass Goes Down” is my favorite because it gets you movin’! This is a HOT club track! Which song would you say is your favorite and why?

[ANDREA] Haha…well I have to agree with you! “Bass Goes Down” is definitely my favorite! I absolutely LOVE performing that song! I think I like it so much because it is the original that is closest to the music I listen to all the time. The majority of songs in my iPod are dance/club music and “Bass Goes Down” reminds me of that music. I wanna give a shoutout to DJ Micred for collaborating with me on that song!

Have any of your songs received radio play?

[ANDREA] My songs “Can’t Let Go” and “I’ll Never Know” are receiving airplay on Sunny 94.3 in Idaho; 92.1 CKPC near my hometown; Radio Humber 96.9 and several others. Most of the songs on my album are receiving internet airplay as well. It’s always such an exciting feeling hearing your songs on the radio!

I saw that you are rated #1 on the Reverbnation.com charts for the St. George, Ontario, Canada area. How does that make you feel?

[ANDREA] It’s an awesome feeling to be #1! I’m so glad that so many people are hearing my music because that’s my goal. I know that I have to keep working hard to stay at the top of the charts, but I hope that soon I will make it to the #1 on more websites and charts!

I’m told that you are also quite the performer too. Describe to our readers what type of show you put on for your fans that come out to support you.

[ANDREA] I absolutely love performing! My show is very upbeat and I always try to make sure it’s a good time for everyone. For my bigger shows, I like to bring out my backup dancers for a more visual experience and I’m currently putting together a live band.

Talk to me about two of your most notable performances that took place at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH and at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. What were those experiences like for you?

[ANDREA] These were some of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. It was so crazy to think of the people who have been on those stages before me and it was a dream come true! I was so nervous but so excited at the same time and I hope someday I’ll get to perform there again.

You’ve won several singing contests and have also appeared on your local TV network. What do you think is missing that will help you get over the hump to finally be discovered?

[ANDREA] I think once I get my full band together, it will attract more attention to my live show and my music. Also, promotion and marketing cost a lot of money and I think if I had more of that behind me it would help get myself and my music noticed and maybe even discovered.

Do you have a preference in signing with a major or indie record label?

[ANDREA] Nowadays a lot of artists prefer to sign with an indie label. You have more freedom and control over most parts of your career and that’s definitely something that is really important to me. I want to be able to write my music exactly how I feel it should be. I want to be able to control what my live shows are like and many other aspects as well. If I didn’t have control over that then my music wouldn’t be me.

Very well put. Take this opportunity to let all of those A&R’s (major or indie) out there that read our publication know why they should sign YOU.

[ANDREA] Music is my number one priority and I am one of the most determined people you will meet! I don’t try to make my music sound like anyone else and I think it’s catchy and very marketable. I know how to put on a show and write my own music and I’ll never give up!

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers at this time?

[ANDREA] My new single “Bullet” was recently released on iTunes! You can find it at: www.itunes.com/andreagodin . I’ve worked so hard on this song so I hope everyone likes it. :) You can also hear it for free at: www.reverbnation.com/andreagodin . In the meantime, I’m recording new music, promoting myself and keeping really busy!

Thank you for allowing our readers and fans the opportunity to get to know about you and your amazing talent Andrea. We look forward to watching how your very bright future unfolds. Please share any final words you may have at this time.

[ANDREA] Thanks so much to everyone who read this interview. I hope you check out my music and enjoy listening to it. Keep checking back to my Reverbnation site because I got lots of exciting things coming in the near future! Also, thanks to Nine5Four Magazine for making this feature happen!