On

“The key to making this record,” says Ken Andrews, On’s founder, and mastermind, “was capturing ideas in the moment, taking snapshots of moods and textures before they slipped away. ”

Shifting Skin marks a distinctly auspicious debut for On. The project is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Andrews, whose infectious melodies, personally-charged compositions, inventive arrangements and impassioned performances give this self-produced 11-song album an effortlessly transcendent resonance. Ken is well known to music fans via his work with his highly-regarded previous band, Failure, but his new project is some-thing else entirely: idiosyncratically personal, yet effortlessly accessible.

Andrews recorded the majority of the album on his own, overdubbing vocals and instruments in therapeutic solitude. But Shifting Skin also features instrumental contributions from such notables as Jordon Zadorozny and Kelii Scott of Blinker the Star (whose most recent album, August Everywhere, Andrews produced and mixed); Jeff Turzo of God Lives Underwater; Matt Mahaffey of Self; Jeff Trott of Sheryl Crow’s band; Roger Manning and Justin Meldal-Johnsen of Beck, and Brad Laner of Medicine. Despite the impressive guest list, the songs maintain an undiluted fidelity to Andrews’ compelling individual vision. “I was lucky to have so many talented friends wanting to come down and contribute to the album.” Andrews recalls. “It really helped me hear the songs in a new way and it brought an interesting diversity to the tracks.”

On’s quirky blend of lyrical insight, sonic adventurousness and pop songcraft converges seamlessly on Shifting Skin’s eleven self-penned songs, which reflect the intense period of musical and personal soul-searching that originally spawned the project. This timely blend of elements is in force on such hook-intensive songs as “C’mon Collapse,” “Slingshot” and “Paper Thin Soul,” which make inventive use of tape loops and drum programs without sacrificing their melodic focus. Elsewhere, more contemplative numbers like “Soluble Words”, “Feel at Home” and “Building…” framed by David Campbell’s lush string arrangements, demonstrate Andrews’ knack for more involved arrangements. “David Campbell has an uncanny ability to find the emotional undercurrent of a song and subtly exploit it with strings.” Andrews says, “I first worked with him on the Blinker the Star record and when it came time for my album I couldn’t pass up his magic. I especially like what he did on “Feel at Home.”

Despite its ironic moniker, Failure, in which Andrews split songwriting duties with bandmate Greg Edwards, had grown increasingly successful with each of their three albums. Following their acclaimed third release, Fantastic Planet, and a series of well-received gigs on Lollapalooza ’97, Andrews broke up the band and began exploring new creative options beyond the guitar-based rock that had been his main outlet until then. “Breaking up Failure was a very painful experience for me. It became apparent that the chronic problems plaguing that band were not going away anytime soon. I realized the only way to survive musically was to start over. Once I made that decision I felt liberated, and I think that comes across on this record.”

“As part of the process of starting fresh, I bought some new instruments, including some synthesizers. Right off the bat, that led me down roads that I hadn’t been down before. I started coming up with ideas that sounded like the beginning of something exciting to me.”

Shifting Skin’s creation was a lengthy but rewarding process that ultimately allowed Andrews to reinvent his music and rediscover what makes him tick as an artist.

“I spent nine months on this record,” he says. “It was fun again, trying something new and not feeling tied into the history of a band, and not feeling like I had to be part of a particular sound or style. It ended up sounding like how I was feeling, so I didn’t stop and second-guess it too much. I just followed my bliss, and this is what came out.”

With music as expressive and distinctive as Shifting Skin, no second-guessing is necessary.