Stereo Six: Black Sands Sums Up Some of His Favourite Records

As we look back on the year that was 2025, it marked an emotional transition for Black Sands. The musical project of singer, songwriter, and producer Andrew Balfour, Black Sands, released a few memorable singles this year, including “Making Memories.” This was followed up by “Rock Me” and “Down The Road,” with all three singles introducing listeners to a change in musical direction for Balfour. He has moved from more of a synth pop sound towards a more stripped-down songwriting style. His sound is now more rooted in Americana or pop country, with a more honest approach. This approach just feels truer to him as an artist and a songwriter.

As an individual, Balfour has experienced a lot of loss and emotional pain. He has lost both his sister and his brother, who each had addiction issues. This inspired him to change the way he worked as a songwriter. He wanted things to feel more centred and grounded. Much of the music for these songs was written on guitar in quieter moments. They explore the emotional tension between grief and growth, and love and regret. There is also a sense of optimism within these songs, a space for positivity and warm nostalgia. Balfour is content with this more laid-back approach, which allows him to express himself more freely.

To more fully understand his musical inspirations, Balfour joins us for a Stereo Six, sharing six (very different) albums that have helped shape his sound.

“Every artist has those records that leave a permanent mark, shaping their style and how they create music. For me, ‘Rock Me,’ ‘Down the Road,’ and this new Black Sands era are built on a foundation of timeless songwriting and modern genre-bending. These six albums each represent something vital to the sound I’m chasing now: grit, stripped-down honesty, cinematic grandeur, anthemic energy, hooks that stay with you, songs that stand the test of time, and a refusal to stay boxed into one lane.”

1. Kings of Leon – Only By The Night (2008, RCA)

“This record is a powerhouse and still feels fresh almost 20 years later. It showed me how you could take Southern grit and raw band energy and turn it into stadium-sized anthems without losing authenticity. Songs like ‘Use Somebody’ and ‘Sex On Fire’ balance raw emotion, massive hooks, and authenticity, which are foundational elements I try to bring into all of my tracks.

“Whenever I get lost, revisiting this record gives me a new idea, whether it’s the haunting guitar line on ‘Closer’ or the floating bassline on ‘Revelry.’ That sense of urgency, swagger, and experimentation is something I aim for in every Black Sands song.”

2. Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002, American Recordings) & American V: A Hundred Highways (2006, American Recordings)

“Rick Rubin + Johnny Cash. Say no more. These late-era recordings taught me restraint and truth. The songs are stripped back, vulnerable, and deeply human.

“‘Hurt’ is on my Mount Rushmore of all-time greatest songs. Taking Trent Reznor’s original and turning it into something entirely Cash’s is a rare moment in music, art and culture. A song like ‘God’s Gonna Cut You Down’ shows me the power of lyrics and simplicity, a steady beat and stark delivery that carry biblical weight, balancing light and dark, and highlighting humanity’s duality. That theme of light and dark, good and evil, has been the steady throughline for all of my music with Black Sands.

“These albums remind me that the most powerful moments in music come from leaving space and letting the story breathe. That’s also what ties the new Black Sands sound to Americana roots: it’s about honesty and resonance above everything.”

3. Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth (2005, Nothing Records/Interscope Records)

“Trent Reznor is one of my all-time favourite artists. This album shaped how I think about production and texture, blending experimentation, dark tones and feeling but with accessible songwriting. The atmosphere, the layers, the tension-and-release: it’s cinematic, but also raw.

“Songs like ‘The Hand That Feeds’ have my favourite bridges and breakdowns, gnarly riffs and pounding grooves that carry the emotion. Only shows how a simple drum loop and bassline can lay the foundation while letting lyrics and storytelling shine. This record reinforced my love for dark, gritty rock that isn’t afraid to pull in industrial and electronic edges.

“Even as Black Sands leans into Americana now, that darker DNA is always present. It’s the undercurrent that gives songs like ‘Rock Me’ their edge.”

4. Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding (2o19, Republic Records)

“Post has been a huge influence because he refuses to be boxed in. He blends pop, hip-hop, country, and rock in a way that’s completely authentic to him. Black Sands lives in those in-between spaces too: cinematic pop, Americana grit, and modern rock energy.

“What inspires me most is how seamlessly he collaborates with Halsey, Travis Scott, Swae Lee, and even Ozzy Osbourne, and it all still sounds like Post. This record pulled me deeper into hip-hop and pop and showed me what’s possible when genres collide. And for ‘Sunflower’ to become the most-streamed song in U.S. history while anchoring Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? He doesn’t miss.”

5. Goo Goo Dolls – Dizzy Up the Girl (1998, Warner Bros.)

“This record taught me the power of earnest, timeless songwriting. ‘Iris,’ ‘Slide,’ ‘Black Balloon,’ and ‘Broadway’ which are all hits that have stood the test of time for nearly 30 years.

“Songs like ‘Iris’ and ‘Slide’ are heartfelt but massive, the kind of tracks that soundtrack real-life moments. That’s always my goal with Black Sands: to write songs people connect with personally, but that still feel cinematic and larger than life. The guitar tunings on this record also stuck with me; I was deeply inspired by them when writing ‘Greenfields,’ one of the most personal songs I’ve ever made, coming in 2026.”

6. [Curveball]: Jay-Z – The Black Album (2003, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam)

“At first glance, Jay-Z might seem like an odd influence, but The Black Album shaped how I think about rhythm, phrasing, and attitude. It’s a masterclass in confidence and presence, lessons that apply across genres.

“When I need to be sharp, whether for a performance, a pitch, or just life, I still throw on ‘99 Problems,’ ‘Dirt Off Your Shoulder,’ or ‘Moment of Clarity’ to get pumped. Back in my touring days, we’d blast ‘99 Problems’ pulling into venues, and our bassist would always time the ‘You’re crazy for this one, Rick!’ drop perfectly. It still makes me laugh to this day.

“I’ll never touch Jay-Z’s swagger, but that conviction is something I carry into Black Sands, in lyrics, riffs, and the energy of every track.”

Closing:

“These six records reflect the threads that weave into Black Sands, from the intimacy of Cash to the cinematic grit of Kings of Leon, the hook mastery of Goo Goo Dolls, and the genre-bending reach of Post Malone. Add the atmosphere of Nine Inch Nails and the swagger of Jay-Z, and you’ve got the blueprint for where this new chapter of Black Sands is headed.

“I could list a hundred more, but honourable mentions go to Thriller by Michael Jackson (the gold standard of pop perfection), Sam’s Town by The Killers (a cinematic rock record I always return to), any record by Deftones but of course Around the Fur and White Pony has been massively influential for me and L. Ron by Barkmarket (a deep cut that proves raw energy can be just as powerful as polish — crank it and let it hit you in the face).”