INTERVIEW: Andrew Mitch Feels Outside the Lines
We caught up with Andrew Mitch to discuss how he crafted his impeccable singing voice, creating queer Christian community, and cementing his place in Nashville.
Andrew Mitch found his way to music through the church, so it only makes sense he's returning to his roots as he gets older. In his recent video "Baggage," Mitch finds himself recovering breathlessly from the aftermath of a breakup. We caught up with him to discuss how he crafted his impeccable singing voice, his initiative Feeling Outside the Lines to create queer Christian community, and cementing his place in Nashville.
You have such a beautiful voice. What was your entry into singing?
Thank you! I really appreciate that. I've been singing since I was little. I was the only boy in the church choir for a long time, I sang in my high school youth group, and I even took a semester of opera lessons in college! It's become my happy place. My best friend always says she can tell if I'm having a good day based on how much I'm singing.
You've recently begun an initiative (or project?) called Feeling Outside the Lines. Could you share more about it, and how it relates to the music you've been making lately?
Yeah, I would love to launch a wellness brand/community titled after my first record, feeling outside the lines. It's still very much in the planning stages, but I want to create a safe space for Christian and spiritual growth for gay men and beyond. I've always seen my music as a safe space for the feelers, but I'd like to create something that is more specific to the religious gay following I have.
You've been duking it out in Nashville for some time now. What are some physical (or metaphysical) spaces that have brought you queer country joy?
I absolutely love Nashville! I enjoy the lake during the summer, Shelby Bottoms Park for running, Music Row, and even Broadway sometimes. It's such a talented, vibrant community of singers and creatives – I just love it.
"baggage" has a truly timeless feel. How did you go about crafting its big sound?
I've always loved the dramatic, grand sound of an orchestra. And I played with that orchestral sound in a few of my earlier releases, but I never fully embraced it. So I took a bit of a chance on this one, and I was blown away by the results. I wanted to include some pedal steel, banjo, and dobro to still give it that country feel, but the orchestra is definitely my favorite part!
