Schur

We sat down with Andrew Schur of Schur, an indie-rock project based out of New York, for one of his first music interviews. With an undeniable ability to serve as the soundtrack to your summer, Schur’s sound is incredibly unique. His eloquence in conveying his absolute passion for the music he makes enhances an already compelling catalog. 

Andrew's music career ignited at the age of eight, sparked by hearing a Jimmy Page solo and knowing that is what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He went on to share, “[Music] has never not been on my mind.” At that young age, Andrew, his older brother, and some close friends formed a band in his small hometown in Connecticut, kickstarting his musical career through high school. As everyone grew up and went their separate ways, Andrew never stopped pursuing music in one form or another. In high school, he and a friend opened up a recording studio tailored toward youth musicians like himself.  This endeavor not only contributed to the community, but laid the groundwork for his future projects and productions.

Andrew began recording and producing his own music in college, releasing his music as Schur in 2019. He described Schur’s sound as “guitar-centered, Led Zeppelin-oriented, with healthy doses of hip-hop.” Schur has drawn notable influence from iconic acts of the 60s and 70s, classic rock scenes like Zeppelin, The Who, and AC/DC, as well as modern hip-hop artists like J Cole, Mac Miller, and Kanye West. Schur made sure to share how big of an impact Reggae has had on his work, noting Steel Pulse, Bob Marley, and Bunny Wailer to have imprinted his work. “I feel like I did not fully understand those genres as much as a kid but they’ve come back to me. I draw a lot of inspiration from them and the musicians in those groups are some of the best in the world. That’s influenced my playing style.” His transcendent music continues to draw from diverse influences like these, creating depth to his music that, in turn, is an influence in and of itself. Schur pushes the limits to what indie-rock can sound like when creativity and passion are put at the forefront. 

Schur started as a solo project, entirely self created, recorded and produced. While Andrew largely continues to compose the music on his own, he is joined by a tight knit band that brings it to life. This change has helped bolster the work Schur was already creating, adding new, refined perspectives to live performance. “The first couple years I only produced by myself, in a bedroom, and did everything… but now performing it with the band has given it another dimension which has not only been a joy for me but has influenced the way that I make music.”  Andrew went on to comment on the importance the band has had in his live performances, allowing him to express things in a collaborative way. Andrew zealously shared how crucial live performance has been to him, allowing him to share the stage with such talented musicians, cherishing reflective moments shared together on stage. Seeing Schur live will come with no shortage of electrifying guitar solos performed with precision and unparalleled passion. This unique element to his performance has reached audiences near and far. Andrew shared that being noticed for such an element has been incredibly rewarding and empowering, “because it showed that the one thing I loved the most and is the most unique part of my music is what is getting the most attention.” This is an ode to the roots of his passion.

Schur has continued to evolve over the past few years,  reflective of the growth, Andrew has personally gone through himself. Andrew shared that his most recent release, “Sway,” holds a lot of importance to him; ​​“It’s the first song off a project that’s documenting a lot of my childhood and the experiences I had coming out of my shell.” Andrew got candid about his reservedness and mental health experiences growing up. “Sway” was the conduit in which Andrew expressed the universal experience of being afraid to move out of our comfort zones as we watch from the sidelines. Andrew shared the collective learning curves and lessons of these vital times in our lives. Starting at just eight years old, Andrew’s music saw him as he went through high school, college, a move to New York, and the ebbs and flows of these trying years of our lives. Andrew shared that “Sway” was actually originally written an octave above his comfortable range. After many attempts to mold it into what he was comfortable performing, nothing worked. Lightheartedly, Andrew commented that this process in and of itself was emblematic of his growth and one’s stepping out of their comfort zone.

With the start to his musical career grounded in live performance with a band, Schur brings a naturality — a tone of comfort — to the stage. Schur is genre defying, innovating the future of authentic indie rock. His creativity knows no bounds and breaks down barriers, while harnessing a humble message:  “I just want people to experience some form of happiness when listening to my music - There’s a lot of emotions in there that aren’t necessarily happiness but if you can listen to any emotion in its raw form it gives you some level of human connection, which makes us happy.” 

Be sure not to miss Schur’s upcoming EPs this year and New York shows by keeping up to date through Instagram (@andrew_schur). Schur’s presence is growing rapidly, which goes to show that the world is craving more unique, deep-rooted music exuding purpose, nostalgia, and pure talent.