Exclusive album premiere of ‘The World’s So Cruel’ by the London-based multi-instrumentalist Andrew Sands aka Sands, out October 13th, 2023.

Andrew Sands quickly became obsessed by records as a teenager and started playing drums and guitar, later on getting into the recording and engineering side.

His musical influences comprise of Neil Young, Bowie, The Smiths, David Lynch, Talk Talk, Echo and the Bunnymen, and more, resulting in an arrangement of rock ‘n’ roll, psychedelia, and pop elements throughout his music. Sands’ latest album ‘The World’s So Cruel’ puts an emphasis on an uplifting pop flavour, drawing inspiration from American music and imagery, but sometimes filtered through a European attitude.

<a href="https://s-a-n-d-s.bandcamp.com/album/the-worlds-so-cruel">The World’s So Cruel by Sands</a>

Andrew Sands discusses songs on his latest album:

‘The Line’s Been Drawn’
For me it’s Neil Young and Crazy Horse meeting Hawkwind. At least that’s what I had in mind when working on it, adding space rock vibes to a mellow and potentially acoustic-only track. I love playing this kind of tune and ideally I’d end up playing just this kind of stuff probably. Lyrically it could be about going your own way regardless of everything, not wasting time on who or what gets in the way, not letting anyone bring you down.

‘Transmission’
It captures a moment in time, what I was experiencing and what my thoughts were in that phase a couple of years ago I guess, what life looked like from that place. It still resonates though. It’s influenced a lot by where I was living, that junction was very busy..quite a nightmare to be honest haha, but we move on. It starts from that neighbourhood in North East London and its mood, who knows where it ends then.

‘Honey Honey’
The chorus was kind of stuck in my head for a while. Keeping it simple you know? I love simple things and I love the immediacy of rock’n’roll. A pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a pair of sunglasses, a drink and a bite, possibly not just by yourself so you can have more fun.

‘A Dream In My Pocket’
Woke up one morning with this harmony, a bit obsessive. Picked up the guitar and there it was. A Caribbean glam rock tune I’d say. Coming up with the lyrics and imagining the whole story was fun. Thanks Marc Bolan, and thanks Joe Perry too

‘Through This Avenue – The Game’
A tribute to 13th Floor Elevators and Roky Erikson. I love his music, voice and the look in his eyes. Fierce and vulnerable at the same time, which I hope can be two traits to describe this track too. As in ‘Transmission’ it draws inspiration from life in that London neighbourhood, but more in a nocturnal setting to the whole picture, like being the soundtrack to that.

‘Young Man’
There’s a spiritual theme going on throughout with somehow a feeling of relief Adding a horn section and a gospel choir come naturally and contribute in enhancing that vibe even more.

‘When It Starts To Rain’
Probably the first one I’ve been working on. A daydream in a “busy town kind of feel,” being completely absorbed by the daily ritual of life in the city yet deeply immersed in your own thoughts, almost like a hallucinatory sleepwalking. Loved playing bass on it, and tried to keep an emphasis on the groove when mixing it.

‘Around The Moon’
Walking around and humming, trying to make some sense out of it. Watching the sky at night while going to buy cigarettes. Probably there’s something about the repetitiveness of life, or simply the cycle of it, in a stomp-like singalong lament to celebrate and exorcise it jointly.

‘Are You the Devil?’
A slick boogie about relationships you can’t get your head around, taking the piss out of it as well. It can be even just the two different sides of yourself.

‘Third World War’
One of those ones that came out straight away without too much thinking, words and music at the same time. Giving enough rope as a market entry strategy, the pleasure of authority, military haze, a glamorous catastrophe, occupation of the karma are some of the ingredients to this.

‘Sing To Me My Dear’
The title of the record ‘The World’s So Cruel’ is taken from these lyrics. It gave a lot of the whole aesthetic to the album, it was pivotal in setting the tone. I wanted it to be dreamy and soulful, so I didn’t escape from involving a brass and string section too.

‘Horizon’
I have a soft spot for it. I wasn’t sure how it would have come out except from the song itself and the outro guitar. I hadn’t written any part, so a lot came out in the studio when doing it. To me this gives it spontaneity and makes it sound fresh. It’s inspired from the seaside and all it triggers to the senses, the empowering blue all around you.. Even just thinking about it lying in a bed somewhere.

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