Andy Shauf

Shauf was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan, grew up in Bienfait, and later moved to Regina.^[2] His parents ran an electronics and music store, giving him access to a variety of instruments.^[2] He played Christian music with his parents^[3] and was a drummer in the Christian pop punk band Captain until 2006.^[2]

After two self-released albums in 2006^[4] and 2007,^[5] respectively, Shauf released two albums on Hopeless Records: Darker Days (2009)^[6] and Waiting for the Sun to Leave (2010).^[7] These were followed by the self-released EP Sam Jones Feeds His Demons (2012).^[8]

He released the album The Bearer of Bad News independently in 2012.^[9] The album was re-released in 2015 on Tender Loving Empire and Party Damage Records.^[9] The song "Wendell Walker" from the album was shortlisted for the 2016 SOCAN Songwriting Prize,^[10]

In 2015, Shauf signed to Arts & Crafts Productions in Canada and ANTI- internationally, releasing the non-album single "Jenny Come Home" as his first release on both labels.^[11] "Jenny Come Home" was Shauf's breakthrough on Canadian radio, charting on both CBC Radio 2's Radio 2 Top 20^[12] and CBC Radio 3.^[13]

Through early 2016, he toured Europe as an opening act for The Lumineers,^[14] and he moved from Saskatchewan to Toronto in April of that year.^[2]

Shauf's album The Party, was released in May 2016.^[6] After some experimental recordings with a group of musicians, Shauf ended up playing almost all of the instruments on the album himself,^[15][16] with the exception of the string arrangements, which were written and performed by Colin Nealis.^[17][18] The album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize^[19][20] and has since been noted by some as the first album to win Shauf widespread recognition.^[21][22] Following the album's release, Shauf toured throughout 2017 with a five-piece band.^[23]

In 2018 Shauf recorded an album with D.A. Kissick, Avery Kissick and Dallas Bryson, under the band name Foxwarren.^[24] The album was released on November 30, 2018,^[24] and received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.^[25]

On October 23, 2019, Shauf announced that a new album, The Neon Skyline, would be released January 24, 2020.^[26] A single, "Things I Do," was released the same day.^[26] After the release of The Neon Skyline, Barack Obama featured the title track on his 2020 summer playlist.^[27] Commenting on this honor, Shauf stated, "It’s cool to think that Obama, or the Obamas together, have listened to my music. It’s a really nice feeling to think my music has gone that far."^[28]

On September 24, 2021, Shauf released the album Wilds, a collection 9 songs written and recorded at the same time as The Neon Skyline and described as a "companion piece" to it.^[29][30]

On February 10, 2023, Shauf released Norm. The concept album follows a stalker, and has been praised for its use of unreliable narrators and its sinister undertones.^[31][32][33] The album was longlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.^[34]

• Tour EP (2009)
• Four Songs (2009)
• Sam Jones Feeds His Demons (2012)^[8]

• Has Been Defeated (2011) ^[43]
• Foxwarren (2018)^[44]