Andee has returned with a fresh approach to her sound after overcoming a dark period in her life. She talks about her journey with bipolar disorder and psychosis in the book “Mes tempêtes intérieures” by Vanessa Beaulieu released in 2018. This led her in new sonic directions with the help of producers Emery Taylor and Herag Sanbalian, although the focus remained on catchy melodies, sick beats and emotionally charged lyrics.
“These new songs are definitely about personal experiences that affected me like nothing I had been through before,” Andee says. “A lot happened over the course of five years. Ultimately, I wanted to expose a very vulnerable side of myself to talk about hopelessness, mental despair, growth, euphoria and resilience.”
The focus track on One Plus One Equals Us entitled “The Sea” was produced by Andee and her husband Kori Kameda. The song is about welcoming changes, grief and letting go of someone you love. The album contains three songs in French: “Cruel – French version”, “Case départ” and “Les idées immenses”. Produced, mixed and co-written by the talented Hill Kourkoutis, “Les idées immenses” (and its English version « Bigger Dreams ») is a great odyssey through the power of love. This song that she wrote on piano is about having the courage to love again. It talks about loving and dreaming fearlessly. One Plus One Equals Us also features Toronto-based singer Stacey Kay who raps on a “Your Last Kiss”, a groovy song about closure. The album also includes the heart-wrenching retro-sounding ballad “Lost in Rewind” produced by Warne Livesey.
As she recorded this new body of work, Andee drew strength for herself from listening to Tina Turner (“the ultimate badass”) and other artists she has long admired, from Celine Dion and Christina Aguilera to Alicia Keys and Florence and the Machine. It’s all helped to up her game as a live performer as well, pushing her to expand her solid fan base within Canada to markets around the world. Whether she is on stage or in the studio, Andee’s goal is always to connect with listeners as intimately as she can. One Plus One Equals Us, is Andee’s second full-length album and was released under Coalition Music Records.
