It's an old saying, but it remains true: if you do what you love for a living, you won't work a day in your life. This doesn’t mean that what you love is easy to do; often, it's just the opposite. Instead, it merely conveys that when you truly love your job – no matter how much effort you put into it – it really doesn't feel like the back-breaking, soul crushing work that most people contend with on a daily basis.
Few people epitomize this idea more than Andrew Weiss of Huntington, NY, who fell in love with making music at an early age and set out to make it his legacy in life.
Weiss is the front man for music act Andrew Weiss and Friends, which plays numerous local gigs and specializes in both cover tunes and original compositions; a snippet from the band’s bio should familiarize you with the basics:
Long Island's Andrew Weiss and Friends have made a name for themselves since their debut LP arrived in 2018 with their unique blend of Laurel Canyon folk rock and the sonic flourishes of late-70s power pop. Singer-songwriter Andrew Weiss clings to and cherishes moments of intimacy, difficult conversations, and emotional currency through his songwriting. A classic glow silhouettes Weiss’s storytelling, fusing a smart, throwback warmth and charm right into the work. Weiss’ songs show off his chops for character-driven stories, with an attention to detail on par with celebrated works from the likes of Dawes or Tom Petty.
Very early on –certainly earlier than many of us often find their life’s calling –Weiss developed an intense interest in music, starting to write songs and learning to play instruments at the tender young age of just 7-years-old, citing the influence of one of the greatest bands of all time as a driving force.
“My uncle played me Octopus' Garden by The Beatles when I was 2-years-old, because he heard me listening to the kids’ music that everybody normally listens to and he thought to himself, ‘there's cool kids’ music out there, and if I can get him into a cool band at a young age, it would be great,’” he said. “He thought Octopus's Garden sounded like a cool children's song. He played that for me and there was no turning back. I was 100 percent all-in on The Beatles.”
Shortly after his musical revelation, Weiss’ parents purchased a drum set for him and got him lessons; from there, he moved on to a plethora of other instruments, including the piano and the guitar –both of which he taught himself how to play –while also developing an interest in crafting his very own songs as well.
Further inspiration came to Weiss back in 2018 when he had a run-in with famed Beatles member Paul McCartney himself, having a 20-minute conversation with him that he credits for solidifying the passion that music would play in his life.
Currently, at the age of 29, Weiss gets to live out the lifestyle that many can only aspire to achieve; he makes his living doing what he loves, and that's being a full-time musician with his backing band, Andrew Weiss and Friends.
“I play gigs whenever possible, that's my main priority. During my busiest time of the year, which is usually the summer, I have about four to five gigs a week,” he said. “I'm also always writing songs, and during the year 2020, when there were no gigs due to the pandemic, I wrote 93 songs. I care deeply about songwriting...that's something I really value a lot.”
The lockdown measures instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected many jobs across the country, and no industry felt that impact more than those in entertainment. Weiss was hit especially hard by the inactivity during COVID, both financially and emotionally; however, he eventually used it as a creative outlet and emerged intact on the other side, more dedicated to his craft than ever.
“It was rough. We make art to make ourselves and other people happy and to help them get through whatever they're going through. I was getting ready to release an album and in March 2020 everything shut down, people were dying, and the news was so depressing,” he said. “The world was really serious at that point, and I thought to myself, ‘should I release this album?’ My PR person told me I should, just to bring some joy into the world and break the cycle of bad news. I thought that was a nice way to look at it.”
“The first few weeks of isolation were especially tough, because as an artist you need to be in front of people and you want to connect with people,” Weiss continued while reflecting on the pandemic. “I didn't really feel like making any music at all at that point, and when things hit their lowest point for me, that's when I finally decided to write again. That was the start of my 93-song writing streak.”
Weiss said that he felt it was his responsibility as an artist to catalog the current state of the world and what people were going through via his music, and he found inspiration by the fact that everyone was going through the exact same thing at the exact same time during the pandemic.
“The songs I wrote during the pandemic act as time capsules, but they're still very relevant because we're still getting over whatever life was back then,” he said.
Today, Weiss said that his gigs are back up to their pre-pandemic levels, something that he takes a great deal of pride in. Today, he’s busier than ever, and the summer of 2023 ended on an especially high note for him and his band, as they played a stadium show, their biggest show ever, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
“We heard through the grapevine that the Washington Nationals baseball team was putting together a Grateful Dead night before one of their games,” he said. “When my band does cover gigs, we play a lot of Grateful Dead music...they’re one of my favorite bands of all time, and they had a big influence on me. So we submitted a video of ourselves and were eventually offered the gig at the Nationals’ home stadium, and we played in front of 5,000 people.”
“Coming from 2020 when you're dying to connect with people creatively and spiritually, and finally there's 5,000 people watching you play music and the joy on both their and our faces...it was very emotional,” Weiss added. "The energy in the audience was just very palpable. Everyone was dancing and smiling, and it really choked me up and made me wish the moment could last forever.”
Currently, Andrew Weiss and Friends have released four full albums, three extended plays, and a handful of stand-alone singles. In addition, a new album is slated to be released this upcoming November. Their music is available on all major streaming sites, including Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Weiss noted that his backing band was a vital aspect of his creative process and one that he couldn't do without.
“When I was starting this project, I could have just called this ‘Andrew Weiss.’ But the ‘and Friends’ is not a cop-out, it's like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band or Paul McCartney and Wings or Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,” he said.“ The lineup has changed over the years, but everyone that's played in the band and performed on the records really contributes a lot to the music. I really enjoy that camaraderie. It's all about making music with your friends.”
Going forward, Weiss aspires to continue releasing albums and playing gigs, with the hope that the shows will get bigger and bigger over time.
“The goal for me has always been to make the best music that I can make, and hope that music reaches as many people as possible,” he said. “And then we get to share that music in a concert setting with fans who’d like to hear what we have to say. It’s about opening the door to a conversation, and that is priceless.”
To find out more, visit Andrew Weiss and Friends online at their official website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube pages. To purchase tickets for their upcoming show at Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett on November 25th, click here. To stream their new single "Hello Loneliness" on Spotify, click here.