Steve Andrews aka The Bard of Ely, aka Green Bard

ONLYROCKRADIO.COM

1. What's your name? Steve Andrews aka The Bard of Ely, aka Green Bard
2. Where are you from? Originally from Cardiff in South Wales but now based in Portugal.
3. Tell us how your journey has been from your beginnings until now. It has been a very long and varied career, with many ups and downs, moments of excitement but also
   
   disappointment along the way. I have just kept on keeping on looking for that elusive "big break" and doing what I do. I was very excited about being featured on TV last year on Britain's Got Talent when I got a lot of women from the audience up on stage with me to help me out with my cover of Stand By Me. I ended up in a lot of news reports after that too. Also last year, I was a finalist in the Cardiff Music Awards Best Solo Act category. 
4. Tell us about your musical style, influences, ... I call myself a singer-songwriter, because that is what I do. I write songs and perform them, backing my singing with a guitar. How recordings turn out is a different matter to how I perform the songs live. Bob Dylan was my main influence to get started as a singer and songwriter, and also Neil Young. All the music I have listened to over the years has had an influence but it has mostly been singer-songwriters I have spent most time listening to. Words are more important to me than the music. This is probably because I am also a poet.
5. What has been your last project? I have recorded four songs with Jayce Lewis as my producer. Ever Yours, Living Book, Girl Singer and Citizen of Earth were all recorded at his Northstone Studios in Bridgend. I am looking for a label to release them as an EP.
6. And the next thing you have planned? I am working on pushing two big ideas I had. The first is called Ocean Aid, and is for a massive concert to take place with many big name acts performing. The purpose is to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean and in the environment.  We need some protest songs on this and for high profile artists to speak out. I
   
   was pleased to see that Mick Jagger tweeted pledging that he is stopping the use of some types of single-use plastic. My plan is in its initial stages but to help kick things off I will be recording a song entitled Where Does All The Plastic Go? My second idea is for a vinyl LP compilation by Various Artists with songs about the environment, and with the title Plastic on Plastic. I am looking for backing for this project and acts who want to be involved. My friend Rufus Mufasa from South Wales wants to be involved and I am very happy to have her on board. As well as these projects, I have been active in the campaigns to save trees in the UK in Roath in Cardiff and in Sheffield. A poster was made of me with the slogan "YOUR TREES NEED YOU!" It has been tweeted and retweeted a lot!  I have changed the lyrics of Stand By Me to "Stand by tree." I am also singing: "All we are saying is give trees a chance."
7. Upcoming concerts, events .... Nothing planned at present because I am focused on the projects I just outlined.
8. Links of interest: 
Reverb Nation: https://www.reverbnation.com/bardofely
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BardofElymusic/
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/bardofely/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bardofely
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Andrews
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bardofely 
Spotlightzone: http://www.thespotlightzone.com/profile/?band=132 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bardofely
Top Music Japan: http://topmusic.jp/product_info2.php?products_id=1534
9. What's else? I have a limited edition 5-track CD EP on the German Moloko label with the title Harvest Home. Songs are Kingfisher, Harvest Home, Priest of the Venusians, One To Three (Crum's mix) and Real Love and Communication. Anyone interested should contact me at bardofely@gmail.com for further details.