Andy Strachan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Strachan
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Douglas Strachan
Born	(1974-08-20) 20 August 1974 (age 50) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Genres	Alternative rock, punk rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, backing vocals
Instruments	Drums, percussion
Years active	1989–present
Labels	EMI, Reprise
Associated acts	The Runaways, Poxsii Barccs, Alcotomic, Pollyanna, The Living End, The Longnecks, The Superjesus

Andrew Douglas Strachan (born 20 August 1974) is an Australian rock musician. He is best known as the drummer for the popular alternative rock band, The Living End. Andy joined the band in 2002.

Before joining The Living End, Andy played drums in several other bands. He has helped The Living End release many successful albums. These include Modern Artillery (2003), State of Emergency (2006), White Noise (2008), and The Ending Is Just the Beginning Repeating (2011). Many of these albums reached the top spots on the Australian music charts.

Andy Strachan's Music Journey

Early Life and Drumming

Andrew Douglas Strachan was born in Adelaide, Australia, on 20 August 1974. He started playing the drums when he was 12 years old. He took lessons at a music shop called Frets and Stix. When he was 15, Andy joined his first band, The Runaways. They played cover songs from the 1950s and 1960s.

After finishing high school, Andy studied natural therapies for three years. He also worked in restaurants. In 1994, he moved to Melbourne to continue his music career.

Playing in Other Bands

In 1993, Andy formed a band called Poxsii Barccs. They moved to Melbourne in 1994. Later, in 1996, he started a rock trio called Alcotomic. This band released an EP and two singles before they stopped playing together in 2001. Andy also played with other bands like P76 and Pollyanna. By 2000, he was the drummer for Pollyanna, a band from Sydney.

Joining The Living End

In early 2002, Andy Strachan met the members of The Living End. Their previous drummer had left the band. Andy started playing drums for them, even though they were still looking for a new drummer. At first, they played new songs under a different name, The Longnecks. This helped Andy get used to playing with the band.

Andy felt a lot of pressure during these early shows. But the band members, Chris Cheney and Scott Owen, made him feel welcome. On 20 March 2002, it was officially announced that Andy had joined The Living End.

His first release with the band was an extended play (EP) called One Said to the Other in January 2003. Their third studio album, Modern Artillery, came out in October 2003. This album reached number three on the Australian charts.

The Living End continued to have great success with Andy as their drummer. Their album State of Emergency reached number one in February 2006. Andy won an award for Australia's Best Drummer in 2006. Their next albums, White Noise (2008) and The Ending Is Just the Beginning Repeating (2011), also did very well on the charts.

Other Music Projects

After The Living End's 2011 album, the band took a break from writing new music. During this time, Andy worked on his own project called The Pants Collective. He released a 6-song EP under this name on 30 May 2014. He also worked with musician Ash Grunwald on the 2013 album, Gargantua.

Awards and Recognition

Andy Strachan and The Living End have been recognized for their music. The APRA Awards celebrate Australian songwriters and composers.