Reach Records artist Andy Mineo recently was in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for the annual YC Alberta Youth Conference. NRT's Mark Ryan had the chance to catch up with Andy to talk about giving out his phone number to thousands, the latest project that is in the works and married life.

You pulled a Bob Goff recently and gave out your number: "Text me to get a single." What was the fan reaction to that?

There were some interesting reactions. There was one of disbelief. People were like, "Nah, this ain't real. This is some kind of hoax." There was hesitancy for people to do it, which is interesting. It was just like people think I'm lying, like this isn't a real number or something. I was answering phone calls and answering text messages and doing all that stuff, but then I was like, "People don't believe me. Let me film this." So then I filmed it. I'm like, "This number is live. I'm taking the calls right now, talking to people on the phone, saying what's up, hearing their stories, encouraging them."

After I posted that video up, then 10,000 more people hit me up because they were like it is real. I was like yeah it's real. It's just an extra way to communicate, stay in touch with the people who support. I like to call them family and be able to let people know now that I'm able to gather their information, they can add themselves to my phone book. I can organize that information now city and state. So if I came to Alberta, like I was just texting kids today who are at this conference from Alberta because I just looked up whoever was in Alberta and they're like, "I'm going to see you at this conference!" I'm like, "I'll see you there. I look forward to hanging."

It just adds that extra layer of being able to directly connect because a lot of times you put something out on Twitter or Instagram or wherever and people miss it. I do a show in Cali and I'll post a picture. When are you coming to Cali? I'm like I was just there. I didn't even know. If I had your number, I would have texted you and let you know. That's the game plan, but reactions were weird. Some people were freaking out. They were crying on the phone like no way. Craziness, but it's super cool.

You've got the new single, "Layup" out now. How is the new album coming as an entire work?

The new album, it's a bit all over the place. I changed directions quite a few times trying to avoid that sophomore jinx situation. "Layup" isn't even on the album. "Layup" is just a song I wanted to put out because I like it, but it didn't make the album, so I was like let's give people something anyways, especially since it was basketball season, NBA season, and there are a lot of good opportunities for that song to get spins there and for people to learn about Andy Mineo and what we've got going on at 116. That song was just another take this and I think people were treating it like it was the single and I'm like nah. It's just a song. 

That kind of sound really isn't on the album at all, which is really interesting because I'm just trying to evolve and grow and I am evolving and growing and I'm changing my sound and my palate and things that excite me about music. That's what interesting is I'm trying to figure out how to bring along the people who are fans and who appreciated my music into a new sound and direction I'm going. Still trying to figure that out, but it's hard because there are deadlines and things approaching and a lot of pressure to make a great project in a short period of time.

I've been working on it for a while, but I've also been on two tours since then. I got married. I got a new house. A husband for the first time. I'm adjusting in all these ways and haven't really settled into this new skin, so it's hard.

Is there an expected street date for the album?

Yeah, but it keeps on getting pushed and rearranged because now we've got distribution with Sony Red and they need a very long lead-up time, so I've got to finish the album like mix mastered done, artwork, everything like three months in advance. On top of that I'm planning a tour for the fall, so you've got to make all that stuff align. It's really difficult. Street date keeps getting pushed.

You've been married nine months now... what impact has that had on your music?

Quite a bit. When I first got engaged and everything I was writing all these love songs, but the hard part was I was also working on the sophomore album, which is like these love songs don't really fit this project, so I kind of shelved those love songs to make a separate project. In addition to that, she's a sociology major, so she's very involved in the thinking behind why people do what they do and how they get to the places they are in their lives, and tries to see things from a different angle that I don't normally think from. That's been helpful in my music because it's helped me to see things in society and culture, which also affects the way that I write music.

I think that's definitely affected my music. Also just the time I spend with music, how to break up my time is different now because I can't just lock myself in the studio away for days and not see anybody. I want to and I should spend time with my wife, and figuring out how to balance that has been difficult.

You have this innate ability to just switch between serious and fun loving throughout the album. how do you find the balance between the two sides of Andy?

I haven't found that. I didn't figure it out yet. I think what I try to do is just be as honest as I can and as me as I can on every song and I let the chips land where they do. I'm not like this song I'm going to be funny. Sometimes it just comes out just being who you are.

I think the hard part is because a lot of my fan base like such serious and weighty content that sometimes if I'm just being fun, having fun, they think that that's somehow in contradiction, so it's hard to keep everybody pleased, but I guess the good thing is that's not by goal in making music. It's just to be me. I haven't figured out that balance. I just try to be as honest as I can on every song.

How can we all be praying for you?

There are lots of ways. I think now more than ever every decision that I make has bigger implications. It's made it a lot harder for me to make decisions because there's lots of fear that I'll make the wrong decisions and now my decisions cost more money, my decisions cost more people their time, they cost more in the sense that when more people are looking and more people are paying attention, like every decision is just a bigger one.

Prayer for me to function not out of fear, but out of trusting God to do what He wants me to do, say what He wants me to day, go where He wants me to go and not have fear of man there. 

Another thing is rest for me because in the midst of all these deadlines and trying to get stuff done, I start focusing a lot more on what I'm doing than who I'm becoming and that's a scary thing because we know we're not defined by what we do even though a lot of times the culture wants to define us by what we do as opposed to who we are and I just don't want to lose sight of that and that's hard to balance that. So prayer for that.

Prayer for learning how to be a great husband. That's a continual pursuit for me and it's new for me, so always trying to grow in that area and figure out how I can serve my wife better, how I can sacrifice for my wife better, love her better. Those are all things definitely keep me in prayer for.