Catching that big break in the music business in not an easy task. Just ask Andrew Sterling, a junior communication major from Bedford, New Hampshire looking for his chance to make it big in the music industry.
I sat down with Mr. Sterling on Thursday for lunch and ask him about what kind of developments have occurred in his musical career. “I have been very busy,” Sterling stated. “I have been doing a lot of restaurant gigs to make money for prints, playing the pub on Thursday night, and recording my CD in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.”
Sterling has also been working with Jim Prendergast and Joe Deleault.  “It  has been great.” Sterling told the Crier.  For those of you unfamiliar with Jim Prendergast and Joe Deleault, they are the talented musicians who play Irish music in the pub on Wednesday night. Jim Prendergast owns the recording studio Sterling has been working in while Deleault has been serving as a producer.
Deleault and Sterling became instant friends when Sterling began work at the Dana Center during his freshman year. The pair constantly bounces musical ideas off of each other and he has been influential in crafting Sterling’s debut album.
When I asked him what the album sounded like, Sterling was quick to respond. “It is a bare bone singer songwriter album to introduce major record labels to my potential and diversity as an artist. It’s almost entirely me and my guitar and the songs are about my experiences. It is very introspective”.
The album truly shows Sterling’s ability to play a diverse set of songs. There are goofy, upbeat songs about girls and bars like “Napkin Roses”, introspective, post breakup songs like “Reflections of Me” and country-bluesy tunes like “Stay Longer”.
Sterling is not afraid to dive into any musical genre. You can hear traces of the folk pop, reggae, blues, and bossa nova throughout the album. But unlike other artists, Sterling is album to tie everything together beautifully and maintain an authentic identity throughout.
“I have a lot of influences,” Sterling said. “I love the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, that kind of stuff. I also love hip hop, Beck, and Kings of Convenience too. But my biggest influence would have to be my dad. He influenced my perception of music, my humor, my mannerisms everything. Literally, every room in my house has a guitar in it.”
I have a feeling his dad must be proud. Sterling has truly been able to put his whole personality into this project. “The album is about being young. As young people, we make mistake and say things we don’t mean. What matters is we’re learning and see progress”, Sterling stated.
There is a certain honesty and purity this album has that others don’t. It calls to mind John Mayer’s Room for Squares. Filled with lush ballads like “All In” and blues jams like “Down at Consuelos”, the album is very relatable to us college students.
We all know heartbreak, curiosity, and friendship. Andrew Sterling just states it more eloquently. Continue to look for more of Sterling’s gigs and album. He is a regular pub performer on Thursdays from 8-10 and performs in places like Salem, MA, Salisbury, MA, Dover, NH and here at Saint Anselm College. He plans on heavily promoting his album with more gigs this summer. Go! You will not regret it!