Kevin Bronson on October 5th, 2018

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Andy Fonda is the solo project of Andrés Villalobos, guitarist in the band James Supercave and, he points out, a product of the American dream. An immigrant from Central America who was schooled at Musicians Institute, he today released the first song he wrote as a solo artist, and the first on his debut EP, “Rise and Shine,” due to arrive in 2019.

“Shine” a dreamy, evocative meditation that finds optimism in the line “Maybe one day you will come around / and shine your love again.” Backed by an ethereal chorus and tasteful, restrained guitars, Fonda taps into the ache of “feeling alone in a crowded room” in a way reminiscent of artists such as Neva Dinova. “It’s a song about my first long-term relationship ending,” Fonda says, “but it also took on a deeper meaning when I lost two friends to suicide last year. But ultimately it is about hope, and that’s what this project is about for me.”

The self-recorded tune features Brijesh Pandya on drums and Collin Desha on one of the guitar solos, and was mixed by Jules de Gasperis. It won’t necessarily mend a broken heart, but five minutes of salve always helps.

||| Stream: “Shine”