Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats

"...with the group’s latest album, “Everyone Everywhere,” Scotchie & Co. have harnessed the eternal hope and constant growing pains of America — a country still trying to figure itself out with a mirror currently placed firmly in front of itself." - Smoky Mountain News

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2020 PRESS RELEASE 

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With two full length releases under his belt, a festival all his own, and his band’s 10 year anniversary approaching, it’s hard to believe that songwriter, guitar prodigy, and event producer Andrew Scotchie hasn’t even hit 30. On his latest studio venture, the Asheville, NC native packs a punch with six new tracks that boast some of the most electrifying arrangements you’ll hear all year.

On the heels of his 2018 LP release “Family Dynamo,” Scotchie is set to unveil his most mature and sonically diverse collection entitled “Everyone Everywhere” on Friday, June 26. With heavy themes like corporate greed and inequality prominently featured in the condemnatory track “Funny Money,” more playful tunes like the sweet retro-rock inspired “Natural Romantic” offer listeners a much needed respite from thinking about these turbulent times. An anthem in its own rite, leading single “Stepping Stone” sets the stage for a short yet pungent magical mystery ride of psychedelia, funk, and jam-adjacent rock that is nothing short of enrapturing. The standout “Fear Mongers,” starts with a hardy sample of Charlie Chaplin’s famed “The Great Dictator” speech (which required official approval from the late filmmaker’s rights-holding office in Paris), declaring that “the misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed” and segues perfectly with Scotchie’s “don’t wait / don’t hesitate / ‘cause the poor man can’t give what the rich man always takes,” artfully encapsulating the current climate.

With such timely social commentary embedded into every track, the new EP could easily be mistaken for a response to the ongoing pandemic, though the album was actually recorded months prior. Still, Scotchie welcomes the serendipity, and encourages his listeners to adopt their own takes on the lyrics, especially when they can be utilized to reclaim hope. Scotchie concludes the album with a universal offering in the title track “Everyone Everywhere,” imploring "Even if you feel lonely / when this world is unkind / call on me, I'm sure you'll find / even when you feel you got nothing / everyone everywhere's got something.