Andy McKee

Chewing the Gristle with Greg Koch

An incredibly influential acoustic guitarist, Andy's "Drifting" YouTube video went viral long before "going viral" was a thing. Years later, Andy has easily cemented his place as the standard-bearer for modern, percussive guitar playing (pioneered by players like Michael Hedges, Don Ross, and others, and then brought to new heights by Andy). Greg and Andy get into the Acoustic Gristle today!
1:58 - Andy’s current life and playing schedule during Winter ’21 with Tommy Emmanuel, and his early influences
7:07 - Andy’s unique playing style, and what drew him to utilize the body of the guitar as a percussion instrument
13:31 - How Andy approaches live performances, leaving space for dynamic improvisation, bringing guitars on tour, and playing with fanned frets
25:12 - Growing up and living in the Midwest, and life during lockdown
32:34 - The beauty of playing guitar for the sake of having fun, eating for the sake of eating, and travel
39:32 - What’s coming down the pipeline for Andy
44:10 - Andy’s new label and touring plans
Total Length: 62:26

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Chapters

1. Andy McKee (00:00:00)

2. Andy’s current life and playing schedule during Winter ’21 with Tommy Emmanuel, and his early influences (00:01:58)

3. Andy’s unique playing style, and what drew him to utilizing the body of the guitar as a percussion instrument (00:07:07)

4. How Andy approaches live performances, leaving space for dynamic improvisation, bringing guitars on tour, and playing with fanned frets (00:13:31)

5. Growing up and living in the Midwest, and life during lockdown (00:25:12)

6. The beauty of playing guitar for the sake of having fun, eating for the sake of eating, and travel (00:32:34)

7. What’s coming down the pipeline for Andy (00:39:32)

8. Andy’s new label and touring plans (00:44:10)