Andrew Keoghan is a songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who combines his classical training in singing and violin, with elements of pop and folk – you could even call it chamber-pop.

March sees the release of his debut album Arctic Tales Divide, which features 11 intriguing and melodic songs predominantly recorded at The Lab, Auckland, over the course of 4 months.

The first single of the album, ‘Ca Va Bien Merci’ was released last September on iTunes and for radio play, a Serge Gainsbourg-influenced tune that has aired on stations including 95bfm, Kiwi FM and Radio New Zealand National.

Arctic Tales Divide was produced by Wayne Bell, whose production credits include Jan Hellriegel, Bic Runga and Gin Wigmore. Keoghan plays guitar, piano and violin and is joined by live conspirators Jol Mulholland (bass & guitar), Wayne Bell (drums, percussion), Victoria Girling-Butcher (vocals) and Ben King (vocals & guitar), with additional input from members of Goodshirt, The Mots, Goldenhorse, Dictaphone Blues and Tim Finn’s band.

Keoghan’s songs reflect his fascination with the intruguing little things that sprinkle life’s everyday encounters – ‘Clean Sheets and a Fishbowl’ describes being accidentally flagged down by an eager escort near Auckland’s K Road. With a love of description, lyrics sway from ethereal to direct when speaking of matters of the heart.

He was schooled on violin, guitar and in singing from a young age. At 21, he sung in Puccini’s opera Turandot in Christchurch before moving to Wellington, where he sang in various jazz ensembles for three years. Keoghan moved to Auckland and began unassumingly making a name for himself in the music scene by writing songs and playing memorable shows, initially as a solo artist and more recently with a live band. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.