An Interview with *Splash!* {aka Andrew Lentz} on his debut album “Breaking the Dam”

The songs that make up Breaking the Dam were written largely during lockdown of 2020, with themes of emotional catharsis, endings, and attuning to one’s own internal guidance. The album was recorded and mixed by award-winning producer Matt Patrick in his Minneapolis-based studio, The Library.

With heartfelt, literary lyrics, and captivating melodies delivered in a soaring tenor range, *Splash!* brings you musical reflections inspired by philosophy, mysticism, and spiritual practice. His unique warmth provides a balm for your weary soul.

*Splash!* Interview Contributed to by Krista Vilinskis of Elephants and Flowers Media

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW LENTZ aka *SPLASH!*:

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you first got into music?

Music has been a huge part of my life for pretty much as long as I can remember. I was fortunate to have parents who valued creativity and some of my earliest memories are from music education courses I was enrolled in at a young age. Singing has always been one of my greatest joys in life. My mother and older brother are both violinists, but for some reason I was very drawn to the piano and began taking lessons in 1st grade. Whenever I’d lose focus and mess around on the piano, my teacher would suggest I might be a composer one day, but I had some kind of mental block where I thought composers were other people who knew something I didn’t. It wasn’t until about 8th grade when I finally accepted that I had never really connected with classical music or that style of learning that finally started taking my own songwriting seriously. I quit lessons and, in addition to writing my own songs, began learning to cover contemporary artists like Ben Folds and Billy Joel. At this time I was still more focused on acting and theater, but by the end of high school, I had fully embraced my identity as a singer/songwriter and switched my focus to music.

Who inspired you to make music? Anyone you admire and why?

Oh man, lots of people. Like I said, my parents were very supportive of an arts education, although perhaps more in an “it looks good on college applications” way, and initially I think it may have been somewhat to their chagrin that I became a professional musician instead of say… a lawyer or something, but they’ve since come around. I think I did get a lot of encouragement from music teachers and choir directors in my life, which I greatly appreciate, but I don’t know how much encouragement I really needed at the end of the day, because the act of creating and performing music has always been SO JOYFUL for me. Truly one of the purest and most uncomplicated loves of my life.

If there’s one thing that inspired me most and continues to inspire me to make music, it’s the artists that I adore and respect. I feel that feeling you get when you hear a perfect song that expresses something in a way nothing else does, and I know “that’s what I want to do for others, and for myself”. Like I mentioned above, Ben Folds was a big part of that initially. I heard what he did on an instrument that I thought I was maybe beginning to tire of and I realized “oh yeah, the piano can be COOL”. I think I’m inspired most by artists with strong voices (both in terms of their singing, and their lyricism) and a real sincerity to what they do. Brandi Carlile, Damien Rice, and Craig Minnowa of Cloud Cult spring to mind.

What is your creative process like? For example: what was your process/concept when writing your album Breaking the Dam?

This album was interesting because it came about a little differently than much of my work in the past. Historically, I’ve spent a lot of time being pretty precious about waiting around for inspiration to really take hold of me with an idea I can’t let go of (and I still do a fair amount of that), but much of this album was conceived during the lockdown of 2020 when I was looking for a way to stay connected with music and with music communities that felt good to me while pretty much no performing was happening. Live streaming didn’t really do it for me, so I ended up in a group on facebook where songwriters from all around the country would vote on a prompt and then write, record and post a brand new song every two weeks. This really carried me through that time. It offered a lot of opportunity for experimentation (especially with playing and writing on guitar, which was new for me at the time), and produced some things I am very proud of. It was a good reminder that sometimes you can just “do the thing” and not just sit around waiting for the muses to sing.

Even with a bit more structure, though, the creative process is always a bit of a mystery and a wonder to me. I’m fascinated at how albums seem to naturally group themselves into themes before I’m even consciously aware of what I’m exploring. Whether it’s a full album or an individual songs, the process feels to me, in many ways, more like a journey of discovery than one towards a consciously determined destination.

What did you learn about yourself when writing and creating your new album?

I definitely grew a lot as a writer and as a musician in the process of creating this album. Most superficially, I learned that I could play and write on the guitar. I also gained a lot of confidence as a solo performer. Playing songs that I wrote for The Floating Perspectives without the rest of the band always felt like a bit of an edge and just not quite as fun. I still LOVE the opportunity to perform these songs as they were arranged on the album, but they are just as satisfying to play solo or in smaller configurations.

I also learned a lot about my own determination in the process. When I began this endeavor, I was gainfully employed as a full-time, salaried software engineer. It was no problem for me to take my time and fund the album myself. About halfway through the process, though (right around the time when I’d made some decisions around the release that started a ticking clock), I was laid off from my job and landed in the worst tech job market this country has seen since the dot com bubble burst in the ’90s. Delaying or cutting corners on the album was simply not an option for me, though, so over the last two years, I have made immense sacrifices and worked much longer hours for much less money doing gig work like doordash to make sure that this album got done in a timely manner and in the best form possible. It was not easy, and it hasn’t left a whole lot of time for leisure, recreation, or other pursuits, but it was absolutely worth it. I am immensely proud of this album and the fact that I was able to bring it to fruition despite obstacles and setbacks.

What single is your favorite off your new album and why? 

Oh man, I kind of feel like you’re asking me to choose between my children here… I think I’m gonna have to give you my top 3 (in order of release, not preference):

“Under the Rose” is track one on the album, and also the first single I released. The reason for this is it’s basically a thesis statement for the project and for me as an artist. I place immense importance on the subtler aspects and experiences of life, and I’ve invested huge amounts of time and energy over the last several years into spiritual exploration and pursuits. In this age of scientific materialism, it’s not necessarily fashionable to be a person of faith, and this song serves as a bit of a “coming out” for me as a mystic. It’s my way of saying “this is who I am, and this is how I see things”.

“Love & Ignorance” was the second single I released. I knew I had to get it out there because it was the one I most frequently received comments on after live shows. This song that’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s an offering of the fruits of my own journey from heartbreak to healing. That journey was a pretty long road for me and it makes me very happy to be able to share my story in this way, because I think it’s something we can all relate to having gone through at one time or another. I wanted to honor both the relationship and the lessons learned from its dissolution, and I feel like I accomplished that.

“Here Comes the Flood” is the single I’m pushing with the release of the album, because it’s sort of the unofficial title track. I actually don’t want to say too much about the content of this one, but musically I’m thrilled with where it turned out. Matt Patrick (who produced the album) really helped bring this track to its full potential. He’s the one who suggested adding something to the repeated chorus, which inspired me to retroactively work the album title into the lyrics, and give Hayley an awesome contrapuntal line to sing, which is something I always really enjoy in songs (shoutout Mates of State). Contrary to what I said above, this one is not quite as fun to sing on my own anymore, because it really gains a lot from having both vocal lines on the chorus.

What would you like fans to take away after seeing you perform live and/or listening to your music?

“Breaking the Dam” is all about catharsis, and emotional honesty; Letting our feelings and the truth of who we are break through the defensive walls we’ve built around ourselves to protect our tender hearts, so the waters can flow freely. This album was my way of doing that for myself, but I really hope that people will find ways to see themselves reflected in these waters. I hope that anyone who finds their way to my recordings or my performances will be able to have some sort of healing experience, even if it’s just through simple enjoyment. I am also doing this for my fellow mystics, yogis, alchemists, meditators, witches, magickians, and sincere spiritual practitioners of all types and traditions, whatever they may call themselves. There may be many who scoff or who won’t understand, and that’s okay, but I hope my work will find its way to people who do, and that they will feel validated and encouraged on their journey, much like I felt validated and encouraged by what I encountered in the music of Cloud Cult as a teenager.

What is next for *Splash*!? Any big plans?

Oh yes! I actually have a mostly-finished second album with The Floating Perspectives that I put on the back-burner to work on this album, because that really felt like a priority at the time. Now that “Breaking the Dam” is done, I’m looking forward to finishing that up and getting it out there as well.

I’ll also be heading into the studio soon with Paper Chain, a project I started with my dear friend Caitlin Benson, who is a phenomenal singer/songwriter and cellist. This first batch of songs are her compositions to which I’ve contributed piano and harmony arrangements, but we’ve also recently begun working on some co-written material that I am very excited about.

In addition to that, I actually have a THIRD Floating Perspective’s album mostly planned out that I’m hoping to break ground on in the not-too-distant future, and I’m also a good five songs deep into writing the next *Splash!* album, so keep an eye out and sign up for my mailing list on splashysongs.com because I intend for you to be hearing a lot out of me in the near future. I’m also always on the look out for management and booking support so if there’s anyone out there that wants to help with that, please let me know!

*Splash!* “Breaking the Dam”

Personnel:
Andrew S. Lentz – Vocals, acoustic guitar
Hayley Anne – Vocals
Shannon Frid Rubin – Violin
Matthew Blake – Bass, musical saw
Zach Miller – Drums
Matt Patrick – Electric guitar, various
Eric Songer – Trumpet

SOCIALS:
Website: www.splashysongs.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/splashy.songs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splashy_songs
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3rjtyQEti4zuKGA1QMY5JY?si=AltXuE54S3-pYGpavpW21g
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/splash/1731496808
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/splashy_songs