Andrew Winton is playing an Ellis 000 guitar and ellis floor pedal drum http://ellisguitars.com/ http://www.andrewwinton.com/ http://www.myspace.com/andrewwintonmusic Andrew is an independent solo artist combining acoustic guitar, lap slide, dobro and seven-string lap guitar/bass (the Wintonbeast), with hollers and stomps to provide an engaging and authentic performance. Andrew’s sound has been likened to a cross between Ben Harper, Sting, Kelly-Joe Phelps and Harry Manx. His performances are driven by infectious rhythms, stunning slide, bluesy vocals, quirky lyrics and storytelling. 2006 saw Andrew tour Australia for three months, play at numerous festivals, events and radio broadcasts, and take out first place in the Folk/Acoustic category of the Australian Songwriter’s Association awards (as well as the award for best live performance at the awards night!). Andrew was a feature artist on ABC Radio National’s Music Deli program, and placed in the top 10 in the instrumental category of the MusicOz awards. In 2007 Andrew was nominated for a West Australian Music Industry (WAMI) award for best blues/roots artist, and spent 6 weeks touring the US & Canada having been invited to perform at the prestigious SxSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas and also Canadian Music Week in Toronto. In 2007 Andrew made memorable appearances at most key Australian festivals including Woodford Folk Festival, West Coast Blues & Roots, Blues on Broadbeach (QLD) and many others, along with numerous other shows around Australia. 2008 has already proved successful with a recent WAMI nomination for Best Guitarist, and a finalist spot in the International Songwriting Competition. His third album ‘The Decompression Chamber’ (2006) continues to receive critical acclaim (including a recent glowing review in US publication Vintage Guitar Magazine), and he is currently writing material for his next album to be recorded in 2008.