Navigating a 'New Kind of Familiar' with Clever Hopes
WRITTEN BY: KATIE GORDON // THE BOOM AT NOON 
Andrew Shaver AKA Clever Hopes. Photo: Ian Lake.
Andrew Shaver is an actor, director, broadcaster, and the songwriter behind the band moniker Clever Hopes. With a rotating cast of talented musicians, including Eva Foote, Matthew Barber, and Joe Grass, Clever Hopes released their debut album, ‘Artefact,’ in January 2022. Clever Hopes is back with a sophomore album, ‘New Kind of Familiar,’ released on May 3, 2024. We spoke with Andrew about his journey into music, the inspiration behind his albums, and his experiences in the creative community.
The journey into music
Andrew's path to becoming a musician is intertwined with his extensive career in theatre and film. "I have always loved music, and I've sort of tinkered around writing tunes over the years," he says. "But my time was spent primarily focusing on a career as an actor and a director in theatre and TV, film and video games. I still do that. But I have always loved working with musicians. A lot of my closest friends are musicians and songwriters.” One of his oldest and closest friends is Toronto-based musician Matthew Barber, who always reminded Andrew that if he wanted to make the leap and record an album or song, he’d be there for him.
Andrew’s shift to music became more profound during the early days of the pandemic. "When the pandemic came, I had a relationship implode, and I took off to Australia just to try and get as far away from the dying embers of that relationship. I bought a cheap guitar and started writing tunes,” he says. Many of those songs appeared on Clever Hopes’ debut album, ‘Artefact,’ produced by his pal Matthew. "I loved the recording experience more than I thought I was going to, and I decided to put some actual time and money behind the release. I really didn’t expect to be totally transparent,” he says. “I thought I was just going to record an album, and it was going to be something my family and friends might listen to," he explains. "We put a little energy behind it, and it had a great release. Songs from it were picked up on SiriusXM, and a couple are still in rotation. When something like that happens, not that that’s the goal, but financially it makes it feasible for you to do it again - so here we are doing it again."
Moving to Nova Scotia
The pandemic also prompted Andrew to make a significant life change by moving to Nova Scotia. "I didn’t want to be in Toronto anymore, and I’d sort of given up on Montreal at this point in my life. My partner and I bought a place across the street from my sister in Dartmouth, who’s been out here for almost twenty years. My dad lives in Hubbards, and my brother is out here now as well," he says.
A passion for radio
Since moving to Nova Scotia, Andrew has worked at Ubisoft as a Cinematics and Realization Director and has a podcast and a weekly radio show on COVE FM 88.7 called ‘When We Wake,’ which he produces, edits and hosts. He plays and interviews Canadian indie songwriters, musicians, and industry professionals on the show. "I’ve always loved radio, and I’ve been working my way back to it," he says. "I had a show when I was at Queen’s University in the 90s. When visiting my dad over the years in Hubbards, I’d listen to COVE and I thought the station was awesome." Andrew says he’s inspired by the ‘World Cafe’ on WXPN in Philadelphia, where he went to high school. “I would love to work towards a career in radio. I’m not making any money on the radio yet, but I believe the gig is out there," he says. ‘When We Wake’ airs on the station every Saturday from 9:30 - 11 a.m. You can listen to it on your favourite streaming platforms.
Finding a creative community
Andrew has found a supportive and vibrant creative community in Nova Scotia. "I love it. I’m just starting to dip my toes in the theatre community again," he says. "The music community is the community that I feel most connected to here,” he says. "I was walking down Portland Street, and I came across Jamie Kronick, who is a great drummer in Dartmouth, and we had a big chat on the sidewalk. I passed Morley’s and popped in to chat with Dylan Jewers and Alexander Gallant, and I was like, OK, this is my community. Morley’s is definitely like Cheers to me."
Creating ‘New Kind of Familiar’
The new Clever Hopes album, ‘New Kind of Familiar,’ reflects life changes he’s gone through. "I think this album for me is about transition," he explains. "When I was recording the first album, I was coming out of a breakup - but the new album isn’t about the transition from that breakup. It’s about the transition into a new thing,” he says. “When I wrote the song ‘New Kind of Familiar,’ I didn’t think it was going to be the title of the album until I realized that that was exactly what the album was about. It’s about that familiar hope we have at the beginning of a big new thing.”
One poignant song on the album, ‘Whore’s Racket,’ is a tribute to Andrew's friend and mentor, Brian Dennehy. "It’s a love letter to Brian Dennehy, who was certainly one of the 20th century’s great American actors on stage, TV, and film," Andrew shares. “The song is a pastiche of my time with Brian. Things he said, things that were important to him, and how it all kind of coalesced in my mind. I started writing it when he passed away. When we went into the studio to record ‘Artefact,’ I wasn’t happy with the song. It wasn’t ready, so I kept working on it. I got it to a place I liked and I think it belongs on this album - an album about transitions.”
Collaborators on the new album include a mix of new and long-time friends who are talented musicians, including Kyle Cunjak, Joshua Van Tassel, Matthew Barber, Eva Foote, Joe Grass and Afie Jurvanen, also known as Bahamas. “The day or two before we went to the studio, I got a text from Josh. It was a video of Afie playing some sexy electric guitar. At the end of the video, Afie was like, 'You want some of this on your album?' Well, yeah, obviously I do,” he laughs. “We all played in the same room with Joe and Afie were trading off licks, Kyle and Josh pulled down the rhythm section…It was a dream come true." Andrew encourages musicians to dream big when making asks for who they’d like to join them in the studio. “Afie said to me, 'I love to play, man,' and every musician I've talked about going into studios is like this for a lot of musicians, it’s the most fun thing you can ask them to do. If anyone is reading this and hemming and hawing about asking someone to play on a track or whatever. Just ask them. And, look, I'm not saying that they’re gonna yes, but people like to play and the worst that's going to happen is they say no, that's it."
Album release show
Since the album was released on May 3, 2024, its songs have been played across the country on CBC Radio One and CBC Music and have been added to rotation on SiriusXM. On June 22, Clever Hopes will have their Dartmouth album release show at The Sanctuary Arts Centre. “I'm super excited to play The Sanctuary in the downstairs space, which we're calling ‘Downstairs in the Candlelight,’” he says, noting that Joel Plaskett came up with the name. “As soon as I heard that, I was like, A) That sounds rad. I think that’s a terrific name, but also, B) If Plaskett wants to dub it that, who am I to say differently? So, yeah, this is an album release show for ‘New Kind of Familiar,’ but it’s also a campaign to rename the basement at The Sanctuary Arts Centre,” he laughs.
The full band show will feature Daniel Ledwell, Kyle Cunjak, Joshua Van Tassel and an opening set from Kim Harris. There are only 60 tickets available - get yours now before it’s too late.
To stay up to date with Clever Hopes, visit cleverhopes.com and follow the band on social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X/Twitter. ‘New Kind of Familiar’ is available on vinyl and digital download on Bandcamp, and you can also listen to the album on your preferred streaming platform.
