I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Andee Connors for Shambhu Sessions, and I came away deeply impressed.
Andee has lived a storied life in music. He has been a drummer, a record store force, a label founder, a curator, a writer, a touring musician, and now an important voice at Pandora helping artists understand how to connect with listeners in a changing music world.
What struck me most in our conversation is that Andee has never stood outside music looking in. He has lived it from the inside out.
His journey includes decades connected to underground and independent music scenes, including his long association with Aquarius Records in San Francisco, a beloved indie record store that became a hub for adventurous listeners and musicians. At Aquarius, Andee helped listeners discover sounds they might never have found otherwise. He spoke about writing tens of thousands of record reviews over the years, always searching for something strange, beautiful, authentic, or unexpected.
That same spirit carried into his work with Tumult, the indie label he founded, and into his ongoing life as a drummer. Andee is still very active musically, playing in several groups, including P.E.E., the San Francisco math-rock band now finding a new audience and enjoying a real resurgence. I loved hearing him talk about music not as nostalgia, but as something that keeps renewing itself. A song from 30 years ago can suddenly find young ears and become alive again in a new way.
Today, Andee serves as Senior Manager of Catalog and Creator Services at Pandora, where he helps artists, labels, and managers understand how to use Pandora AMP. He also works across programming areas including metal, punk, and new age. That might sound like an unusual combination, but after speaking with him, it makes perfect sense. Andee hears the deeper threads between genres: atmosphere, authenticity, commitment, sound, ritual, discovery, and emotional truth.
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was his view of artist tools and streaming. Andee spoke about Pandora AMP not just as a marketing platform, but as a way for artists to speak directly to listeners, share their stories, and create a more human connection. He talked about artist audio messages, featured tracks, listener data, and the importance of helping musicians understand where their audience is coming from and how they are connecting with the music.
As an artist, I’ve learned a great deal from Andee and the Pandora AMP team. Their monthly sessions have helped me better understand how Pandora works and how artists can use these tools thoughtfully. What I appreciate most is that Andee brings a real musician’s heart to this work. He understands the practical side, but he also understands the inner side of making music.
We also talked about something that means a lot to me: authenticity. Andee made the point that music created with heart and soul can be felt. I believe that too. Whether someone is making ambient guitar music, punk, metal, new age, or experimental soundscapes, listeners can feel when the music is real.
This conversation reminded me that music is still a living community. Record stores may have changed. Streaming has changed how people listen. Algorithms play a role. But underneath all of it, there are still people searching for music that moves them, and artists trying to make something honest.
Andee Connors has spent his life helping those worlds meet.
I’m grateful he joined me for this episode of Shambhu Sessions, and I’m excited to share the conversation with you.
You can learn more about Pandora AMP at amp.pandora.com.
