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BIOGRAPHY:
When Andrew McConathy picked up his first guitar at the age of 12 years old, he had no way of knowing the road would lead him to become a singer-songwriter, music manager and successful festival producer.
A rocky mountain transplant at the age of 9, McConathy was raised in Vail, CO. Throughout his childhood he picked up the guitar and the bass, flunked music theory and even managed a 12 minute set at his High School Homecoming – a performance he recalls was riddled with butchered solos and confused faces.
The Vail Valley beckons the best in the business and independent bards alike. While most teenagers in the area were focused on the ski and snowboard industry, McConathy remembers being a once disciplined ski racer drawn into the vibrant music community giving birth along the I-70 corridor – where the sounds of the mountain music scene split timbers as it escaped into the cold night.
Alongside a wealth of natural influences, McConathy remembers being deeply affected by the free-spirited community vibe of The String Cheese Incident and the Grateful Dead, Jerry Jeff Walker, Steve Earl, Robert Earl Keen, and other alternative country-folk-rock musicians who passed through his community or managed to make it to his CD player as a teen.
It wasn’t until his college years when McConathy’s multitude of inspirations began to take shape. In 2006, he set out to produce his first outdoor festival on the banks of the Colorado River just minutes from his home stomping grounds. Known lovingly as YarmonyGrass, the festival aimed to feature independent improvisational artists with a zeal for stringed instruments and electronica alike. This immersion into Colorado’s musical underworld had McConathy mixing with and meeting dozens of nationally renowned musicians – including his future teacher, guitar master Scott Law.
YarmonyGrass is now in its sixth year, and McConathy has gained a reputation as an expert promoter through the annual flagship event. His dedication to both the artists performing and the fans attending his concerts has earned him notoriety as a promoter who goes the extra mile ensuring anything he touches turns to gold.
Featuring three days of camping and music in the canyon surrounding the Colorado River, YarmonyGrass has shown exponential growth in half a decade. A road riddled with bumps and last minute opportunities also provided the young artist a spring board for which to launch his wildest dreams – learning to record and perform music of his own.
Light of the Eye, 2010
Now just six years later, McConathy released his first studio effort, Light of the Eye – an album worthy of an intimate evening alone to craft dreams of your own. The release brings an eclectic mix of songs from acoustic to folk, country and even dabbles in his Irish heritage – exposing a slice of American rock ‘n’ roll in the new millennium. The 10 track collection captures the freewheeling vibe of the mountain west with effortless storytelling and the ruckus rousing spirit of the Colorado River itself. The CD features Bridget Law, Sage Cook, Dango Rose, and Bonnie Paine (Elephant Revival), a cameo from Phil Ferlino (New Monsoon/The Contribution), and highlights passionate licks and riffs rooted in a wealth of inspirations and styles. Driven by amorous influences, McConathy managed to create an album chalk full of forthright material and steeped with integrity, proving that indeed he has a number of talents up his sleeve.