Let’s just get it out in the open and of the way right off the bat: Andrew Hibbard sounds like Bob Dylan. A whole lot like Bob Dylan. Especially Bob Dylan in his ’60s glory. But so what? There’s no shame it that. Hell, Dylan’s singing and songwriting shadows loom so absurdly large it would almost be weird to find a folksinger and songwriter who didn’t have a little Zimmy in his shimmy, if you get me. What’s more important — and what separates him from the rest of the also-rans — is that Ohio native Hibbard writes some damn fine songs. Songs with lyrics that get under your skin and choruses that get stuck in your head. Songs that sound like they might have been penned decades ago — or in a few more rustic cases, even generations ago. And songs that sound great whether he’s picking ’em solo on an acoustic guitar or delivering them with the help of a honky-tonk ensemble that could slide right into a session on Music Row. So do me a favour and cut him some slack on the whole Dylan thing, wouldya? He’s worth it.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Andrew Hibbard is a musician, songwriter, singer and writer of poetry. Born in Hamilton, Ohio in the late months of 1995, he began playing guitar at the age of 6 when his father showed him some basic chords. Since high school he’s been picking and roaming, following the paths cut by his musical forebears — Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Lou Reed, Neil Young, Hank Williams, Chet Atkins and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Andrew has released two studio albums to date: Foot in the Door (2012) and Under the Knife (2015). He has toured, performed at festivals and shared the stage with some titans of the American songbook: Dr. Ralph Stanley, Willie Nelson, Sturgill Simpson, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Tillers and Willie Watson. Andrew claims to have written nearly 300 songs, most of which he’s scrapped, lost or forgotten. Luckily a dozen of the best have survived the culling and are slated for release on his third self-titled LP. Whether it’s paying tribute to the classics or displaying his own craft to match his musical mentors, Andrew Hibbard is sure to be a delightful and intoxicating experience to anyone who is a fan of Folk/Country/Blues at its best.”
