Andy Zipf (pronounced ZIFF) is a singer/songwriter from

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

, Indiana, currently living in Jacksonville, Florida. He has shared the stage with artists like Joshua Radin, Delta Spirit, Evan Dando, Jeremy Enigk, David Bazan, The Lone Bellow ,

Old Sea Brigade Ben Cramer, better known as Old Sea Brigade, is an American songwriter and producer, signed to Nettwerk Music Group. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Cramer currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Career Old Sea Brigade's debut self-title ...

and Bill Mallonnee.

History

Zipf was among the first to call for a shift away from traditional music marketing business models, giving away much of his music for free. Before

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

became mainstream, in 2005 Zipf funded his first tour solely off the $2 donations of his fans. In 2006, he and manager Shawn Matthews raised more than $45,000 from his fans to produce ''The Long Tail'' EP. In 2009, he released ''The Cowards Choir'' using a "pay as you can" model from his website. These music and marketing techniques caught the attention of Paste Magazine, Performing Songwriter Magazine, American Songwriter, XM Satellite Radio, and CMJ music festival. Zipf has had songs played on VH1 and MTV, and "Stumble on the Line" ''was featured on ABC's Private Practice.'' In 2008, Zipf embarked on a project and tour combining music and film in a constantly changing live performance art piece known as "Pfriends on Pfilm". Performing in all white, Zipf and his band played in front of a white canvas while thematic colors and found film were projected onto their bodies by artist Brad Wolf. In October 2009, Zipf signed to

P Is For Panda P, or p, is the sixteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''pee'' (pronounced ), plural ''pees''. History The ...

and wrote and recorded with

The Lost Chorus ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

, a band composed of former members of Stavesacre and Project 86. "Jealous Hands" was Zipf's first album on P Is For Panda/Hopeless. It was produced b
Jeremy SH Griffith
and digitally released on July 5, 2011. He also offered it as a free 192kbit/s download on his website. In 2013 Zipf took the moniker The Cowards Choir and released the 4 song EP ''Reunion'' through NoiseTrade. Shortly thereafter, Zipf recruited drummer Adam Neubauer, percussionist Ben Tufts and bassist/keyboardist Ryan Walker to fill out The Cowards Choir band. In October 2014 The Cowards Choir released the 4 song EP ''Cool Currency'', also through NoiseTrade. After the Ben Tufts & Friends benefit show for the Craig Tufts Memorial Fund at Vienna, VA's Jammin' Java in August 2015, Ben Tufts and Adam Neubauer parted amicably from the band. Continuing to play with Ryan Walker, Zipf welcomed Alissa Moore and Dayana Yochim into the band. In 2016, the new lineup released the album "Name The Fear", in addition to a collaborative visual score by Charlotte, NC filmmaker Will Davis (Small Creatures). During the pandemic, Zipf wrote "There Is No Virus On the Moon" and shot the video in his apartment , whic
PASTE Magazine premiered
on May 19, 2020. In 2022, Zipf released "How to Make A Paper Airplane" Produced by Matt Williams, it features Jay Bellerose (

Robert Plant Robert Anthony Plant (born 20 August 1948) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the English rock band Led Zeppelin for all of its existence from 1968 until 1980, when the band broke up following the ...

, Alison Krauss), Jennifer Condos ( Ray LaMontagne, Joe Henry), Dennis Crouch (

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American mu ...

) an
Tyler Chester
(

Madison Cunningham Madison Cunningham (born October 14, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. ''Rolling Stone'' described her music as "a new spin on West Coast folk-rock, with classical tendencies, electric guitars, jazz-school chord changes and a ...

, Andrew Bird). Atwood Magazine called the album,
poignant and moving
. Analogue described it as a
resonant album with beautiful musical flourishes
.

Charity

In 2010, Zipf toured nationwide with

Damion Suomi Damion Suomi is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He currently resides in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Music career Suomi began singing in church as a child and later took up the guitar after his parents' divorce as a means to feel more co ...

and Lauris Vidal in support of the

TWLOHA To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is an American nonprofit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury and thoughts of suicide, while also investing in treatment and recovery. Based in M ...

Spring 2010 UChapters Tour, "Evenings of Lyrics and Conversation".

Discography

Andy Zipf

* ''I Stole The Morning Sun'' ( Gotee Records, 2004) * ''Are We Going Down'' deluxe single (2005) * ''The Long Tail'' EP (2007) * ''Lay it Down'' EP (2008) * ''The Cowards Choir'' EP (2009) * ''The Long Tail'' (2009) * ''Our Voice is a Weapon'' EP (2009) * ''Travelers Psalms and Carols'' EP (2009) * ''Jealous Hands'' (P is for Panda/Hopeless Records, 2011) * There Is No Virus On the Moon single (2020) * How to Make A Paper Airplane (2022)

The Cowards Choir

* ''Reunion'' EP (2013) * ''Cool Currency'' EP (2014) * ''Name The Fear'' (2016) * The Singing Tree, live single (2017) * I Took A Drive, live single (2017)

References

External links

*
DCist.com Interview - Andy Zipf

Interview with Andy Zipf about Pfriends on Pfilm

Pfriends on Pfilm Session from Into the Hill

Andy Zipf Daytrotter Session
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zipf, Andy Singer-songwriters from Virginia Living people Gotee Records artists Year of birth missing (living people)