wor flags

And all the fears of tomorrow they won’t surpass
Well there’s a place that we forget it
Away to the match
Where all my troubles go
And I never feel alone
Cos I’ve found my home

wor flags by andrew cushin

Having a half hour long metro conversation with rising British singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin was among the last things I expected when I left the final show of the north American leg of Louis Tomlinson’s Faith in the Future tour in New York City last Saturday night.

But I’m glad I had the opportunity to form my own opinion of the talented young belter as the F train wound from Queens through Manhattan’s underground. After all, he has managed to provoke both the best and worst responses from Louis devotees.

I found Andrew to have an affable, unguarded way about him. He was both easy to talk to and refreshingly open with his thoughts; candid in a way that rarely remains possible once any degree of fame comes into the picture, regardless of who one is speaking with, in public. He asked interested questions and made space for all in the conversation to contribute. He was quick with compliments and seemed to share Louis’ desire to give other artists, at earlier stages of their musical journeys, a leg up with support slots. (When asked for some advance intel, he made my night by listing a few fantastic UK-based indie bands that will be supporting his headline tour in the UK later this fall.)

To be transparent, I never asked Andrew to speak on any kind of record, so as far as he was concerned, he was just chatting with Louis fans the other night. For that reason, I won’t be sharing anything super specific from the conversation, which did also involve a few other fans, as well as his manager and agent, at moments.

From what I’ve seen, off stage, Andrew doesn’t have much of a filter; doesn’t bother to play close to the chest. Likewise, on stage, there is no mask. He emotes without restraint when he performs heavy-hitters like You’ll Be Free, and my personal favourite, the heart-wrenching 4.5%. And the genuine delight he seems to feel, basking in appreciative applause, and the screams (and barking) of the audience is (ahem) written all over [his] face.

As a late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman over 30, it’s something I actually love to see. Still, I can appreciate that altogether it highlights his youth, novice, and relative lack of media training for some. I just happen to think that being oneself is not something anyone should have to diminish or be lambasted for, and also that people deserve a chance to learn and improve from their mistakes.

Though certainly a little sauced, Andrew’s several exuberant declarations of “We’re on the subway!” resembled nothing more than a young man in the midst of living out epic firsts and dream scenarios he can hardly believe are real. It’s hard to not be charmed by the almost golden retriever energy of a kid who is really just figuring out the ins and outs of being a star that is rising quickly. But these are also qualities that have landed him in hot water with some in the fandom.

By his own admission, the 23-year-old has made a few missteps in his first six-week run with Louis. (Yesterday, it was announced that Andrew will be back to support part of the European leg of Louis’ tour, beginning at the end of August).

Back in June Andrew found himself on many in the fandom’s bad side when he Tweeted asking if it meant he could say he had headlined Red Rocks, when the rest of the concert was cancelled, following his set. It was seen as particularly insensitive because the intense hailstorm that halted the show also injured dozens in the outdoor venue, resulting in several hospitalizations and significant damage to many fans’ vehicles.

The post is something Andrew characterizes as an honest mistake; an ill-timed, under-informed and deeply regretted joke. Being safely under cover in the enclosed backstage area, he hadn’t known the extent of the storm when it hit, nor that it was actually the reason for cancelling the remainder of the show, until after he posted.

He earned my respect at the time by taking accountability, swiftly deleting the Tweet, and apologizing profusely – and repeatedly, through dozens of personal replies to commenters. But he failed to win over some detractors. In fact, he only fanned the flames for many of them when he kissed a fan on the cheek at the following concert.

Now, I was at that show. I saw the fan in question hold up a sign asking Andrew to be her first real kiss. I saw Andrew go all awko-taco when he realized the sign didn’t, in fact, say something along the lines of “will you be my friend”, as he first thought. I saw him look to his keyboardist, Rich, as if to ask what he should do. I heard the “aws” and clapping in the room during what read very much like a sweet gesture that made a fan’s night. (Whether or not it’s a gesture that is well-advised is a separate conversation.)

It was frustrating, even just for me, to see the scene twisted into a story of a young man with an over-inflated ego taking advantage of being in a position of power. Unfair to see a clip that cut out all of the context and happened to capture an angle where it wasn’t clear that he had kissed her cheek only get passed around as though it were evidence of something sleazy. Disappointing to see a vocal part of a fandom that tends to value Louis’ kindness and inclusivity above all else be so quick to levy judgement and so slow to extend forgiveness and understanding.

But even though it’s clear the hate hasn’t gone unnoticed by him, Andrew remained all positivity as the topic came up on Saturday night.

“I’m learning so much,” he said, all simplicity and humility, while heaping praise and gratitude on Louis and his tour team. He also had nothing but kind words to say about the fans, saying repeatedly that we’re the “loveliest, most devoted” fanbase he’s ever had the privilege of playing for.

A growing number of signs, ranging from silly (“Recent convert to Andrewdaism”) to heartfelt (“We’re right here”, held up during his performance of Where’s My Family Gone) speak to a growing base of devotees of his own. (And for Rich, too, it seems).

Today, Andrew released the lyric video for Wor Flags, the third single from his debut album, Waiting for the Rain, which is due out September 29.

Funnily enough, with crowd shots from Boston and other shows opening for Louis, the video is actually the second of Andrew’s I’m technically in, along with many other Louies. The official video for late June release, It’s Coming Round Again, was filmed at the tour stop in Seattle, after Andrew scrapped the footage taken at Red Rocks, out of respect for those affected by that night’s events.

Wor Flags is a song that has done very well live, with a simple la-la chorus that everyone can sing along to, and embodying a sentiment to which many can relate. Lyrically, it’s about the sense of escape and community felt when going to watch football with friends (wor flags being a reference to the black and white flags waved for Andrew’s hometown team, Newcastle United).

But if you replace “match” with “concert”, it’s the exact same feeling many of us (and especially Louies) get from going to shows.

After our lovely interactions the other night, I hope Andrew’s audiences will find a similar sense of home at his shows for many years to come.