The Andes – “Keep it Together”

“Keep It Together”, the debut album from Colorado indie rock project The Andes, hits with a warm energy that sticks around long after the last song ends.

At the heart of the project are Golden songwriter Andy Gross and guitarist Jeff Rady. The two grew up close to each other in suburban Littleton, attended the same high school, and spent their younger years wearing out the same Zeppelin, Floyd, R.E.M., and Stones tapes. Both left Colorado for a time, Gross writing songs in Nashville in the early 2000s and Rady graduating from Berklee to tour with Austin band Sea Legs, before both returned home. They reconnected when Gross took a guitar class Rady was teaching. They started writing together and quickly built the frame for this 10-song record.

To record the music, Rady called up his former Sea Legs bandmate Stephen Bidwell, the drummer for Black Pumas. Bidwell came up from Austin, and with Denver bassist Casey Sidwell joining them, the core lineup tracked the album in just five days at Glory Bird Studio. From there, Gross and Rady worked with engineer Nick Joswick to add pedal steel, piano, organ, and vocals from Lauren Friehauf alongside accordion from Stephano Intelisano. Spoon drummer Jim Eno handled mixing duties at Public Hi-Fi. My favorites are “Don’t Cry”, “Queen’s Medicine”, and “Plenty of Room”.

The record mixes 1970s mountain nostalgia with 1980s suburban moodiness and a clear indie edge. Andy Gross writes about growing up, the urge to connect with the world, and the ordinary things that get in the way.

Personally, I think “Keep It Together” is a genuine masterpiece that shows unbelievable heart, and if you enjoy “Keep It Together”, make sure to give The Andes a follow and support them. The band, featuring Gross, Rady, Brad Turner, and Nathan Bailey on stage, has music and show news up at theandesband.com. Staying tuned to what they do for the rest of this year is the best way to catch everything new they have coming up!