Music producers and songwriters, Chris Reardon and Andy Waldeck, own illustrious music resumes. They have been in bands since high school, with Earth to Andy as their most notable band, and one that held a Warner Brothers recording contract. Earth to Andy opened for some juggernaut artists, including: Foo Fighters and Stone Temple Pilots. Reardon and Waldeck penned songs for Seal for his long-awaited new record, were co-songwriters with Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, and lately, American Idol winner, David Cook. The song, “Every Time You Turn Around,” co-written by Waldeck and Daughtry, appeared on Daughtry’s second platinum album. Most recently, Cook, Reardon and Waldeck were co-writers for Cook’s new single, “Laying Me Low.” Reardon has the added distinction of being co-producer of Cook’s song.
Waldeck’s contract with Sony/ATV Publishing provides access for their elite music liaisons. It was Waldeck’s long friendship with Daughtry that steered him to a prized publishing contract. As Reardon notes, “We gave Daughty one of his first professional gigs. Daughtry opened for Earth to Andy with his band, Cadence. He was just a pup at the time, but about five years ago, when Daughtry was working on his second album, he called Andy [for music collaborations, and this] led to the Sony/ATV contract.”
Even though the main focus of Reardon and Waldeck’s efforts is songwriting and production, they still perform on occasion. Within the past few years, Waldeck toured with Daughtry and Creed’s Scott Stapp. Reardon adds, “I miss playing live and being in a band. There is nothing like being on a stage.” Speaking on production, Reardon notes, “I’ve always been a producer, but now I am producing across the board – pop, country, rock. I’ve learned a lot of new tricks lately because of my six year old. My son listens to the top 40 Sirius channel, so I am hearing a lot of the new pop stuff, which I tuned out when I was with bands. I’m learning there is some good stuff out there and I can do more than just the rock and roll, one-trick pony stuff.” When consulting with musicians about the selection of a song to be released as a single, and advice he provided to Cook, Waldeck says, “Whatever song you select as your single, if it becomes a smash, you will be singing that song for the rest of your life. You will never escape that song. You must love every single note, every single word, every single chord, and all of it must speak to you in a profound way; otherwise, you are just faking it.” As a producer, Waldeck wants to keep their numerous projects manageable, because, as he exclaims, “I always hope I will get calls to join a tour.”
Reardon and Waldeck’s future plans include more songwriting sessions with Cook, song submissions for Maroon 5, as well as a host of other top artist associations. For more information about Chris and Andy, see www.chrisreardonmusic.com and www.andywaldeck.com. Follow Andy on twitter @andywaldeck
