Wipe the sleep from your eyes and become aware of the world around you as Andy Berkhout invites you to Wake Up for the Day with his debut full-length album. With his guitar, banjo, and ukulele nearby, Berkhout continues to water the musical seed that was planted in Cape Town and is now growing in full bloom in Milwaukee.
Andy Berkhout - guitar, banjo, harmonica and lovely songs
Despite his success with the folk-rock duo Greenville, Berkhout never planned for his solo music to see the light of day. After living in South Africa for nearly half a year, he began writing songs as a way to transition back to life in the United States. “The pace of everything felt very fast, so creating music became my practice of taking some time out of the day to slow down and reflect,” recalls Berkhout. “The songs were very personal and almost like a diary to me.” After playing the songs for a few close friends and receiving positive feedback, he decided to share them with a wider audience.
In addition to his studio work self-producing Wake Up for the Day as well as the freely released In the Light EP, Berkhout has shown that he is equally at home on stage. In the summer of 2009, Berkhout performed at Milwaukee’s Summerfest and will complete a tour that spans from Minneapolis to Cleveland and nearly everywhere in between.
Berkhout’s soothing voice and creative instrumentation have brought comparisons to Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam as well as fellow Midwesterner Sufjan Stevens. At the heart of all of his songs resides a simple desire to tell stories about peace and love. “I really believe that music, like most creative endeavors, holds an infinite amount of potential as a vehicle for positive social change,” Berkhout says with a smile.
