Andrew Jarmin

"Nice chorus hooks, good harmonies, mature lyrics, great!" - Toploader

"Andrew is one of the most competent young singer/songwriters that I've met in a long time." - Keith Woodhouse, Delta FM

Anyone that has heard Andrew Jarmin’s unique voice and captivating songs know that he as put on this earth for one purpose, to play music! “From an early age, music was a massive part of my life”, Andrew says. “In fact I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t involved in music some how”.

Born in the South of England, Andrew spent most of his childhood in a small village called Clanfield. Andrew parents were not musicians but had a very large collection of records, tapes and CD’s of which he received a daily dose with no objections. “Some of the earliest music I can remember was Dire Straits and Eric Clapton”, Andrew says. “I think this is what evoked my passion and near on obsession for the guitar”.

At the age of 3 ½ Andrew began to learn the classical guitar, building a solid foundation to his musical understanding and developing his song writing skills. “I wanted to become the best I could be, learning classical allowed me to do this properly”. This gave Andrew an advantage over guitarists whose only interest was ripping out the loudest power chord possible. From here he was able to make an easy transition to electric and acoustic guitar.

It was clear from a young age that Andrew was not afraid to flaunt his abilities. Shortly after his tuition began he played in front of a very large crowd at the local town hall. He was so small he needed help setting up on stage, but his fingers did most of the talking and his youthful looks no longer mattered. This was not to be his last appearance on stage by far.

After many years of performances, examinations and countless attempts of setting up bands, Andrew felt it was time for a change and set out to find his own musical identity. Shortly after the age of 15 he discovered a newfound love for acoustic music. “There was something about the way it spoke to me”, Andrew says. “It was raw, simple yet profound, this was my calling”. There were many artists, which influenced his unique sound such as Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley and later on Damien Rice.

A few years past and Andrew was writing many songs reflecting his own feelings about his childhood and his incredible foresight. “Andrew has always thought beyond his years, even when he was a little boy”, says his mum. “His acoustic music allowed him to express himself in a more delicate, yet effective way”.

At the age of 19, shortly after the tsunami disaster, Andrew wrote the song, ‘That’s how it is’, venting his emotions about the tragedy. He sent it into BBC Radio where a panel of judges, consisting of the much-recognized band Toploader, voted the track best for his category. A week later he appeared on BBC South Live with an interview and his track played to an audience of listeners across the South. This experience and recognition was only to encourage him more.

BBC Radio was to be the first step on the ladder and Andrew began to gig across the South, performing to audiences large and small. “BBC South Live showed me that people actually believed in what I was singing about”, says Andrew. “There is no greater high for a musician”.

The months that followed saw Andrew making a steady rise in the local music scene, meeting many new musicians and performing on more radio shows. He started recording an EP due to the high demand of requests for copies of his music.

In early 2006, ‘Windows of the wise’ was released comprising of 5 tracks. It was soon recognized and Andrew was invited to appear on a show for ITV. “This opened up a whole new avenue for me”, says Andrew. He began to gig across London at well-respected venues including The Rock Garden in Covent Garden and the Clapham Grand. From here he met lots of industry people and friends.

At the age of 21, Andrew continues to perform and write more material. I am sure that he will always be a part of music no matter how big the crowd.