“I heard a powerful and touching song the other day, 'Hidden Heroes', sung by newcomer Andra Townsend and written by the young singer and my longtime bud, Eddie Kilgallon, the founding keyboardist in Ricochet (who scored a No. 1 with 'Daddy’s Money'), co-writer of George Strait’s chart topper 'One Night at a Time' and current keyboardist in Montgomery Gentry’s road band. Andra, whose brother-in-law is an Air Force major, knows firsthand the pain families feel when the spouse is sent into a war zone. So that’s what she and Eddie drew on for 'Hidden Heroes', telling the story of what families go through when soldiers head into harm’s way. And, here’s a nice touch, part of the proceeds from the sale of the single goes to charities supporting military families. Check out andracountry.com for more on Andra, her song and her just-released album, Andra.â€
-Country Weekly
Born in Northwest Kansas and raised in a rural setting, Andra has always had country roots. At the age of 10 she started pursuing her career and by the age of 14 she began recording in local studios. Through her teens and early twenties, Andra has performed throughout the Midwest, making friends and fans along the way. Of course, all roads don't lead to Nashville, but some do.
In early 2001, Andra met Eddie Kilgallon, then keyboardist for the group Ricochet and currently with Montgomery Gentry. Soon after, they recorded three tracks that would eventually become part of her debut album. "We had to work in stages, because Andra was still in college and had a busy performing schedule. It eventually took us 3 sessions over the course of 3 years to finish the project. Its kind of fun to listen back and pick out the early material, and compare it to the recent recordings," says Killgallon.
Andra moved from Kansas to Nashville, TN permanently in 2006.
Hidden Heroes, the first single off her self-titled ART Records debut album, was released nationwide on May 2nd, 2006. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the record goes to benefit various organizations that support the needs of military families. This hits home for Andra, as her brother-in-law is in the Air Force, currently stationed in Washington D.C.
The 12 song album contains cuts written by songwriting pros Tom Paden, Rebecca Lynn Howard, James House, Kent Blazy and Karla Bonoff to name a few. From the heartbreaking "Love Dont Even Know My Name" to the infectious "Baby Don't Go", Andra's debut album on ART Records has something for everyone.
