Bio
Michigan singer/songwriter Andy Baker has spent a lifetime peering through microscopes. As a veterinarian, it’s a necessary skill…searching for small clues in order to grasp the bigger picture. Pretty handy tool for a songwriter too. In fact, Andy has spent a great deal of his life with his own lens turned inward…and outward…resulting in a pondering writing style that moves with a purposeful stride, a playful heart, and a hopeful eye to the horizon.
Three decades of crafting songs have resulted in four studio albums, with nods to his many influences including Counting Crows, James Taylor, Ryan Adams, and the Indigo Girls. His 2010 release “Down” garnered multiple awards from the Great Lakes Songwriting Competition, and songs from his 2017 album “One Fine Day” landed him a coveted finalist spot at the Kerrville Newfolk Songwriting Competition.
On the heals of his 2020 release “North Country Sky”, Andy came back to win the Kerrville Newfolk Songwriting Competition, and was also featured as an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in New York. The album spent a number of weeks on the national Folk DJ Chart, and the opening song “Second Wind” hit #18 in July. Andy also won the 2022 Great River Folk Fest Songwriting Competition, and in 2025 was awarded an Official Showcase spot at Folk Alliance Midwest. Jon Stein of Hootenanny Cafe writes “From the first note of the first song to the last note of the last song, North Country Sky is nothing less than brilliant. His tunes will compel the listener to keep listening...and then after the last note of the last song, wanting more! I can't wait for Andy Baker's next album.”
A long time multi-instrumentalist, Andy’s live shows feature a mesmerizing rotation of songs played on guitar, bouzouki, lap slide, and even bass. In addition to performing, Andy also believes in giving back to the songwriting community he so dearly loves. He hosts a monthly concert series called “Howl at the Moon”, as well as a number of online songwriting groups. He is also the curator of “Song School” , a monthly gathering of curious writers at the Lucky Wolf in Paw Paw, MI.
Jim Bizer of MAMA’S Coffee House says “Andy’s an engaging performer…well crafted tunes, slices of life from touching story songs to hilarious sends, performed on a variety of stringed instruments. A real pleasure!”
Catch him on Facebook, Spotify, and home at andybakermusic.com