A RENFREW man who used his love of music to get through dark times in his life has now released his debut single.

Andrew Cantwell, 49, was left devastated when his wife Diane died of sepsis.

However, that tragic loss led to him taking a long, hard look at his own life – and how important it was to pursue his passion for music.

The result is his song ‘Watching the World Go By,’ which is now available on most music streaming platforms.

Andrew, who was brought up in the Moorpark area of Renfrew by his gran Mary, said the response to his single has been “unbelievable.”

He told The Gazette: “I am so grateful and overwhelmed by the support from the people of Renfrew.

“I love my home town. I run a Facebook group called ‘Moorky People’ which is very popular with locals and ex-Moorpark folk across the world.”

Andrew admits losing Diane took him to “a very dark place of sheer isolation and negativity.”

He said: “I decided to turn that around and stop drinking, which has brought wonderful changes to my life and my way of thinking.

“I now love to write songs and play live.”

These days, Andrew is living in Wigan, where friends have encouraged him to follow his dream of music stardom.

Commenting on his debut single, which features a cover version of The Waterboys hit ‘How Long Will I Love You’ on the B-side, he added: “I couldn’t have done it without the support of people in Wigan and my home town.”

For more information about Andrew’s music, visit reverbnation.com/andrewjcantwell.

Read all the latest from Renfrewshire and beyond

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