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Andrew Chester is a British singer-songwriter and musician best known as the frontman and songwriter for the critically acclaimed Manchester indie electronic band My Computer. Describing himself as a "rebel singer-songwriter in the time of no rebel singer-songwriters," his work has historically focused on raw, boundary-pushing themes.
Band History & Music Career
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My Computer: Chester formed and fronted this Manchester-based band, which earned critical acclaim for their first two albums, Vulnerabilia and No CV. The band was originally signed to the 13 Amp label by John Best, David Holmes, and Dean O'Connor (the management team behind Sigur Rós).
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Other Bands: Before and alongside his work in My Computer, he fronted several other prominent Manchester underground bands, including Hulio Ridiculo, Kid Dynamo, and Good Neighbour.
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One Lady Owner: Chester played a pivotal role in convincing his bandmates in Kid Dynamo to join forces with Liverpool songwriter Steve Dougherty to form One Lady Owner. Alongside manager Derek Ryder, he orchestrated a plan that successfully got the band signed by music mogul Alan McGee to the legendary Creation Records.
Industry Experience & Record Labels
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Major Signings: Throughout his 18-year stint in the mainstream UK music business, Chester signed multiple record contracts with labels including Creation Records, 13 Amp, Mercury, and Gut. He also secured a major publishing deal with BMG, which eventually transitioned to Universal Music Publishing.
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Recreation Records: After experiencing frustrations with the traditional gatekeeping of major record labels, Chester stepped away from the mainstream industry infrastructure in 2005. In 2010, he launched his own independent online-only record label Recreation Records.
Authorship & Later Ventures
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Chester authored his first book of memoirs 'Don't Go Where I've Been' in 2007. He then wrote his second book of memoirs about his time spent teaching English in Thailand, China and Hong Kong between 2012 and 2019. That book is called 'The Happy Ending'. Andrew returned to England in 2019 before the global pandemic in 2020 and then left England and headed to Istanbul where he began to write his third and final book of memoirs 'There Are No Happy Endings',
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He continues to write and record albums under the name My Computer and is currently finishing 2 albums titled 'Nobody Wants To Know' and 'Don't Feel Bad For Doing Good'. These will be his 25th and 26th albums.
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Chester has worked in telesales for 20 years. It was the only job he could get at the age of 35, when he left the music business with No CV. He now uses the money he is paid to promote Recreation Records. He has given up on fame and fortune. It is all about the music and craft of songwriting. It is not about marketing.