Wigan musician releases second CD - and it's a message of hope

A Wigan musician is celebrating the release of his second CD which is intended as a message of hope during these tough times.

Andrew Cantwell, from Standish, has released his second single, Lockdown Love, as a follow up to his debut, Watching the World Go By.

As the name implies, Lockdown Love was written during lockdown in June 2020 and is all about falling in love.

It all started after the tragic death of the dad-of-two’s wife Diane in 2018 when his son, Dylan, encouraged him to sign up at The Music Project (TMP) Music College in Pemberton.

After graduating with distinction, he’s been able to write and record his music, getting plaudits and reviews from all corners.

Since childhood, Andrew, 50, has dreamt of having a career in music, and he’s hoping that he can build on his recent successes and take the next step closer to his dream.

And his new single has already proven to be a big hit, with Andrew getting airplay on BBC Radio Scotland amongst other radio stations up and down the UK.

Andrew, who grew up in Renfrew near Glasgow and moved to Wigan in 2002 and then to Standish in 2018, said: “I’m a bit overwhelmed by the response, it’s been unbelievable.

“I’ve had lots of messages from people back home and BBC Radio Scotland have played it and Celtic Music and Pulse.

“It’s been massive.”

Andrew said he has received support from Pete Cunliffe of Wigan band Vision Thing, who has done a lyric video of the song.

The Wigan music group Merry Hell’s, John Kettle, has also played a part in Andrew’s music playing the guitar and bass.

He went on to describe how he has used his love of music to overcome various personal traumas and battles in his life.

He said: “I became very subdued and isolated after losing my wife.

“It was very sudden but I turned my life round full circle and started my own business and got involved at The Music Project (TMP) Music College in Pemberton.

“I wasn’t sure as I thought I’d be the oldest guy there but this really installed confidence in me to write and record and graduated from college with a distinction.”

Since then, Andrew has not looked back and his success has been an extraordinary tale of truimph against the odds.

He said: “I released the second single on April 27 which happens to be my gran’s birthday and she died a number of years ago.

“I had a traumatic childhood and lost my mum ata young age and struggled with alcohol addiction which I’ve overcome.

“Lockdown Love is all about falling in love during lockdown and having to re-adapt life.

“People obviously couldn’t go to the pub or anywhere and we were left with walks and nature which the song features.

“I did find a lot of walks during lockdown, some of which I never knew existed.”

Now the plan for Andrew is to release a third CD and even an album in the future.

He added: “It’s been a dream from a young age to get into music which I’ve really used to overcome my problems.

“You don’t need alcohol and drugs and music has been my therapy and I want to use it to help other people also.”

People can find Lockdown Love on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music and all other streaming platforms.

His debut single ‘Watching The World Go By’, which also features a cover of the Waterboys hit “How Long Will I Love You?” featuring Alex Strickland, can also be found.

Fans can also buy physical copies of both CD’s or simply show their support through Andrew’s PayPal at: www.paypal.me/wiganindieradio

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