Interview with Andy B.AND: Roots, Rock, and Soul Influences

October 4, 2025

HOME PAGE

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Andy B.And

Andy B. – short for Andy Bernstein – has been the lead singer and primary songwriter for roots rock band The VooDUDES since 1990. As the group celebrated its silver anniversary, Andy found himself with a notebook full of songs that didn’t quite fit The VooDUDES’ style. Inspired by the growing Americana and soul music movements, he launched a solo project with producer John “JP” Pittas (known for his work with Blues Leaf Records, among others). The result was My Roots Are Showing, released under the name Andy B.AND – meaning “Andy B and whoever he’s playing with.”

The album reflects Andy’s eclectic taste, weaving through a range of American roots sounds. There’s the funky mountain spiritual “Great Time Coming,” the Daptone-inspired soul of “Break Someone Else’s Heart,” the AM radio rocker “In My Dreams” in the style of Bert Berns, and the gospel-rockabilly “One More River.” Even The VooDUDES’ spirit lingers in the driving, emotional track “My Baby’s Gone.” Throughout, Andy showcases his gift for storytelling, sung in a voice one critic memorably described as “the sound of a bourbon bottle lined with gravel.”

Over the years, Andy’s voice has drawn praise from far and wide. The Tampa Times likened it to “Howlin’ Wolf vocals.” Blues Revue praised his “deep, clear voice a la Buster Poindexter with way more Southern edge.” The Santa Monica Sun called it “blues-drenched,” while Rochester City Paper summed it up with Andy’s personal favorite: “Gravelly voiced Andy B sings like he genuinely loves every minute in front of the microphone.”

Songs from My Roots Are Showing have found their way into compilations worldwide. “Break Someone Else’s Heart” appeared on WNTI’s 55th Anniversary collection, while “In My Dreams” was featured on Bongo Boy Records’ In Asia #3. His track “Incandescent Lightbulb Blues” was even chosen for the unveiling ceremony of the Thomas Edison commemorative mural in Edison, NJ. Keeping with the Jersey theme, the album also includes “Mary Ellis,” a historically accurate alt-folk ballad about the famous grave in a New Brunswick, NJ, movie theater parking lot – the same site that allegedly inspired Looking Glass’s hit “Brandy,” as the band’s members were local college students.

Airplay for the album has stretched from Western Europe – including Holland’s Soupy Gato Show and the UK’s Radio Love – to stations across the US and Asia. Andy has also been featured on podcasts and radio, including IMG/Mojo Radio, Rock on Radio, Fishcreek Radio Presents, Music Fridays Live! in Los Angeles, and the Debbie Scott Radio Network.

Taking his music to the stage, Andy formed Andy B.AND SoulFolk, a project featuring indie musicians performing his original material. The group has played the Bourbon Street Blues Festival, the Light of Day Festivals (2016–17), Reckless Cabaret, Delaware CanalFest, and the Hub City Music Festival. The live lineup includes Gary Ambrosy (guitar), Paul Daloia (bass), Greg Stier (guitar), and Bill Homeyer (drums), several of whom also played on the album.

Andy’s contributions to the New Jersey scene have not gone unnoticed. Wikipedia’s entry on New Brunswick music highlights him – alongside his late friend Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens – as one of the “local luminaries…fronting bands since the late ‘70s.” Today, Andy continues to perform with both Andy B.AND and The VooDUDES, keeping his roots-fueled blend of Americana, soul, and rock alive for new audiences.