Music in Focus: Andy Selkōw’s Artist Moniker ‘Middle Part’

5 Shares

Andy Selkōw’s artist moniker ‘Middle Part’ is hellbent on pouring his heart out and proving that earnest emotion and endless hooks can coexist within the distorted landscape of his nostalgic sound. Drawing inspiration from the late ’90s and early 2000s, Selkōw’s unique brand of unconventional pop music pays homage to the era, resonating with the confessional lyrical prowess of artists like Alanis Morisette, Third Eye Blind, and Michelle Branch. Selkōw, confides, “I’m so sensitive and hate to show it, but it just bleeds through all of my music.”

The debut album from Middle Part, Disruptor, intricately combines elements of distorted maximalism with an undercurrent of heartfelt sincerity. Exploring themes such as depression, self-acceptance, and the challenges of aging, the album creates an immersive sonic journey. Infusing post-grunge and new-millennium tones with innovative twists, the LP captures a fresh sense of reinvention. Selkōw’s poignant label for the album as “a depiction of insanity” alludes to the persistent theme of the Sisyphean struggle against corporate-level productivity and the pervasive emotional deprivation we often face.

Much of the album was written and recorded between New York and a friend’s cabin in Maine near Sebago Lake, with Middle Part collaborating alongside long-time friend and producer Brian Zaremba, as well as producer Michael Andrews, Frank Corr of The Drums and Morning Silk as well as James McDermott of DBA James & Bayfaction.

Beyond the music, Middle Part places a significant emphasis on the visual narrative that Disruptor inhabits. The album’s visual landscape pays homage to the golden era of MTV, subterranean societies, gritty bedrooms of troubled souls, and the squalor of downtown streets. The visual centerpiece of this album is a glass box; their most vulnerable and exasperated states are on display, representing an exaggerated epitome of the “Tortured Artist”. Worn VHS tapes skitter and bend across screens, inhabiting liminal spaces, while mirrors reflect mirrors, casting a cascade of funhouse-like imagery, paying homage to some of their favorite directors like Greg Arraki, and David Lynch.

Initially conceived as a personal outlet during his time in Alaska from 2017 to 2019, Middle Part was born when Selkōw relocated to New York and connected with Zaremba. Laying the foundation for Middle Part’s distinctive sound he released his debut EP, I Wish I Was Alive, in 2021. It featured the lead single, “& Cry!”—a track that has already amassed over 4 million streams on Spotify. In an isolating time, the EP reached out like a hand in the dark, as Selkōw expressed, “I just want people to relate. I so desperately want to connect, and that might be the message.”

Selkōw quickly followed up with his second EP, Time Is Elastic, marking an evolution in the Middle Part’s sonic landscape. A concept record coined as “Dream-punk” by Earmilk, it incorporates influences from shoegaze and alt-pop while maintaining his signature brand of heartfelt indie rock. Described as a “fever-dream-type Y2K nostalgic escapism” the EP delved even deeper into emotive lyrical content exploring the dichotomy of “this messed-up world” and the dream world Selkōw was creating.

Recognizing that music thrives within a community, Selkōw has discovered a sense of belonging within Brooklyn’s Bushwick music scene. Middle Part’s audacious sound and captivating stage presence have secured coveted opening slots for prominent acts such as Biig Piig, Arlie, and Yot Club. Their journey soared to new heights in the autumn of 2023 when they orchestrated an immersive festival experience in the heart of the neighborhood. This undertaking, coupled with their unforgettable performance, firmly cemented their status as an indispensable and dynamic force within the vibrant live music landscape of Brooklyn.

For further information on the artist, please visit the following links: