Artist description "Pick your favorite poet or balladeer and McKnight will equal them with an Appalachian soul" - Victory ReviewEnvironmental engineer-turned-songwriter Andrew McKnight is a high energy crowd pleaser for audiences nationwide, from intimate unplugged house concerts to large stages such as the New Artist showcases at the Falcon Ridge, Kerrville and Napa Valley Folk Festivals. Equal parts Shenandoah Valley storyteller and poet blended with ever-present strains of the historian, geographer and naturalist, his rurally-based music reflects an oral history built on the past while firmly musically rooted in the present. Andrew frames his stories and observations in a diverse southern " 'mountain gumbo' brand of music that mixes folk, blues and bluegrass in one appealing and energetic sound" (Norwich Bulletin).Andrew's wry insights, vocal richness and bluesy guitar licks have become distinctive trademarks, whether drawing contemporary parallels to Thomas Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings ("Diary"), penning a letter from the present to Confederate war hero Colonel John Mosby, or using a Cadillac El Dorado as a whimsical metaphor for graceful aging ("Million Miles Together"). These traits have brought strong sales, critical acclaim and nationwide acoustic radio airplay for his recordings - Where This River Runs, (1998, produced with original Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Les Thompson) and his 1995 debut Traveler, produced by guitarist Michael DeLalla, both on the Falling Mountain Music label (http://www.FallingMountain.com ) "His ability to write songs left me with visions of Staines, Mallett, and Gorka, and I found Andrew McKnight to be one of the most exciting new contemporary talents to come along in years." (Tidewater Friends of Folk Music).Andrew’s environmental background and advocacy for the preservation of rural and historic America often color his characters’ personal relationships with their changing landscape, such as the Appalachian lament of a dying "Company Town" to mountaintop mining or the struggle with sprawl faced by "A Town Called Progress". "There are musicians who sing about the environment, and environmentalists who play music, but rarely are talent and passion combined the way that Andrew McKnight unites them." (Appalachian Voice). He is profiled in a new pictorial book entitled SAVING THE BAY: People Working for the Future of the Chesapeake Bay for his strong environmental ethic and his unique ability to impact listeners through musical storytelling.Andrew tours nationally as a full-time performer, with his resume including performances at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the Kennedy Center, Appalshop Theatre, the Appalachian Arts Festival and Baltimore's blockbuster Artscape 2000 minus 1 Festival as well as listening rooms, festivals, concert halls and coffeehouses across the US. Andrew is also one third of the exciting Appalachian roots music trio Dang Varmints! (http://www.shenandoahacoustics.com/dv ), whose energetic and eclectic blend of original folk, oldtime, blues, bluegrass and Celtic music, 3-part harmonies and great stories have delighted audiences around the mid-Atlantic states. He occasionally leads workshops on songwriting, various aspects of the acoustic music industry, and environmental issues. Andrew enjoys an artist endorsement with Elixir Strings.

Music Style Folk/acoustic Americana, singer/songwriter

Musical Influences CSN, late-era Beatles, John Gorka

Similar Artists Jim Croce, John Denver

Instruments Acoustic guitar

Albums Turning Pages, Where This River Runs, Traveler

Press Reviews "McKnight’s guitar playing is fabulous as is his vocal delivery - usually friendly and occasionally spooky" - Crossroads"this brilliant guitar player brought those (Blue Ridge) mountains with him...Relating story after story and song after song, often combining his interest in geography, history and a keen eye for the human spirit, Andrew presented a night overflowing with fantastic original material which could only be rated with Blue Ribbons, 5-Stars and a couple of thumbs up." - Tidewater Friends of Folk Music"as refreshing as a cool breeze in the Shenandoah Valley he calls home" - Flint Hills Special"has a way of taking you on a journey...intuitively and poetically crafts everyday experiences and nature's simplistic beauty into verse, much like Robert Frost and John Denver. Be the style contemporary, oldtime, Celtic or blues, his tunes are always the perfect compliment to his stories." - World Folk Music Association

Location Middleburg, VA - USA

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