A singer and songwriter who earned his chops hanging out with some questionable characters in his time, Nels Andrews released his first album, Sunday Shoes, independently in 2005. The album was critically well received, earning plaudits from BBC Radio soon after its release. Eventually, Andrews was able to parlay his critical success into gigs at prominent festivals in Europe, which he managed to play while maintaining a regular job in construction in his home of Albuquerque. Andrews eventually signed a deal with Reveal Records, and with an indie all-star band -- one that included Ani DiFranco bassist Todd Sickafoose, Wilco keyboardist Michael Jorgensen, and drummer Ben Perowsky (who has worked with Joan as Police Woman, Elysian Fields, and John Zorn, to name a few) -- in tow, Andrews recorded and released his second album, Off Track Betting. It saw release in February of 2008. ~ Chris True