In preparation for the upcoming Foxwarren concert on July 5th at Meaford Hall, Rrampt is highlighting our top five Andy Shauf songs.
Andy Shauf is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize and has claimed a handful of the great Canadian industry benchmark awards, know as Junos. More important to us than his acclaim, is the depth of thinking that is evident in his lyricism and storytelling.
Andy Shauf has a way of telling you a story you know all too well, in such a profoundly individual way that it not only makes you feel as if you are hearing it for the first time, but that it was written for you to hear. He’s the kind of artist whose songs work like therapy; not always fun, but they move something inside of you.
Here’s our list of favourites.
- Wendell Walker – Andy Shauf
Eat your heart out, murder ballads. Wendell Walker is the kind of story that leaves nothing off the table, even when you wish it would. This song takes us from young friends, sharing wine and stories in the carefree winds of summer, all the way to the depths of a winter that brings: betrayal, secret love and ultimately death.
The song’s melody is simple, the arrangement drives both intrigue and anxiety, and the whole thing plays out like a theatre piece. You wont be able to look away.
- To You – Andy Shauf
From his breakthrough record The Party this track reads like the most honest conversation between you and your close friend. You know: the one you rehearsed in your mind, but never had the guts to initiate. Set outside the binge drinking of a western-Canadian small town, the story unfolds as a friend admits his true feelings for another and is met with judgement, fear and misunderstanding. Outside of the catchy hook, his grasp of interpersonal relationships is that of, well… a human being who lives on the planet Earth and isn’t afraid to be honest.
- Dance – Andy Shauf, Darryl Kissick, and Foxwarren
Redefining the tenderness of one of life’s truest feelings, Dance is a plea for one thing and one thing only, and it’s in the title. How many times have you been swept up in conversation, pulled from the moment, required to move onto the next stage of plans with someone you care about. When we break down all of these logistics, they often feel like barriers. Barriers holding us back from the simplistic, loving and real desire to feel closer to someone we care about. Throw this one on, let your feet do the talking and pull someone you love to the front of your mind.
- Man On Stage – Andy Shauf
This song has one of the single catchiest chorus melodies of any song ever, let alone one with such an open-chested, inward-facing critique of love. Andy Shauf is a master of telling you something so honest and heavy, in the gentlest of voices, but backed by one of the hardest melodies known to indie singer-songwriters.
You’ll have the words:
“I am not a poet, I’m a broken heart
And though you didn’t dispute it, I don’t really play the part.
I am not dishonest, I’m a lost detail
Leaving out the good words to hide my trail”
Stuck in your head for the rest of the week.
- Hometown Hero – Andy Shauf
We all know one: the highschool heartthrob with a ray of sunshine beating out of them and an array of equally vibrant friends in toe. ‘Hometown Hero’ tells the shanty-like story of a once-famous towny whose opportunities shrunk with age, who took a job doing something safe, who wishes they were 16 again. Except rather than taking up the entire plot of the story, these details only act as the set up for such a great dive bar redemption that you’ll be readying for the standing ovation as the tune hits its climax. He reminds us that we are more than our occupation and our past, we are people with morals underneath it all.
Foxwarren is Andy Shauf’s band, and on July 5th, 2026 they will bring their unique blend of upbeat and “thinkin’ words” to Meaford Hall. We’re lucky to be able to experience one of Canada’s most inspired songwriters as such a beautiful local legacy venue.
So, will we see you there? Yes…great, make sure to grab your tickets first.
GET YOUR TICKETS
Written by Marshall Veroni
