Who is Andrew Sheppard? Former skateboarder and punk rocker to represent Idaho in ‘American Song Contest’

When a blown-out knee wrecked his skating goals, Andrew Sheppard shifted his focus to writing music
Andrew Sheppard (Instagram/andrewsheppardmusic)
Andrew Sheppard (Instagram/andrewsheppardmusic)

The new season of 'American Song Contest' will see 56 participants — each representing a US state. The participating musicians will represent their home states while competing to win the country’s vote for the Best Original Song. Hosted by Snoop Dogg and Kelly Clarkson, ‘American Song Contest’ which premiered on NBC on March 21, is based on the worldwide phenomenon 'Eurovision Song Contest', an international songwriting competition.

If you like such reality competition series, you might also want to check out other music-based shows such as 'Masked Singer', 'American Idol' and 'Alter Ego'.

The state of Idaho will be represented by singer-songwriter Andrew Sheppard. Let's take a look at the contestant who was forced to give up his first love — skateboarding — due to a knee injury and take up music at the age of 19.

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Who is Andrew Sheppard?

Andrew Sheppard, who lives in Boise, has spent years rocking locally and touring. He grew up in Hailey, Idaho. Sheppard moved to Los Angeles, California, shortly after graduating from high school to pursue his other interest, which was skateboarding. When a blown-out knee wrecked his skating goals, Andrew shifted his focus to writing music. He began writing songs and picking up the guitar when he was 19. He began playing bass in punk rock bands in high school after being influenced by seeing his mother practicing and doing live gigs. Sheppard formed "The Gypsy River Haunts" in 2008, but the band split in 2012.



 

His bio says, “Andrew has been touring and recording ever since he was young. His last album, ‘Steady Your Aim,’ was released in 2018. Andrew’s music is often described as heartland rock. No matter how his music hits you, it’ll give you a glimpse of where you’ve been and where you’re going.”

Is Andrew Sheppard on Instagram?

To know more about Andrew Sheppard, you can follow him on Instagram. @andrewsheppardmusic is his Instagram handle. 



 

'American Song Contest' airs on Monday, at 8/7c on NBC. You can vote for your favorite performances on the NBC website, the NBC app, and TikTok. You can also stream your favorite artists' songs on your preferred music streaming app.

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