Andy Palmer

Erstwhile public defender in Brooklyn, N.Y. songwriter Andy Palmer performs solo and leads his band, formerly Grub Street Writer. Three years of living and working in the trenches of Brooklyn's underbelly provide fodder for his lyrics and raw boom/clank of a sound, which might be qualified as folk rock with an alternative edge. His vocal quality has been compared to Cat Stevens, Ian Anderson, Tom Waits and others, but has always been very much his own making, emerging from long periods of solitude and silence.

His music has been featured in the fifth annual 2010 Reel Rock film, which documents recent accomplishments of world class rock climbers and general adrenaline junkies. Earlier in his music career, Palmer fronted a jam band out of Boulder, Colorado. In the band’s short existence, Palmer’s songwriting, vocals and performances brought the band to headline the Fox Theater and Boulder Theater, among other local venues. Some of Palmer’s ex-bandmates have gone on to perform with national acts, including Citizen Cope.

Palmer was adopted at a young age and raised in the rural northeast on a small family farm. He has spent six winter months in near solitude in a yurt in Maine. He's lived on and volunteered at a Buddhist meditation retreat for many more months of silent meditation. He is a professionally trained massage therapist, river raft guide, and a licensed attorney. His songs capture and share these experiences through a blend of storytelling and poetry. While Palmer’s professional path has been broad, at his core he is an artist. Through his music, he attempts to highlight the conflicts that commonly occur within the human spirit. Palmer’s performances engage the audience’s emotion and yet allow the listener the freedom of interpretation.