CLEVER HOPES is the songwriting project of Canadian artist Andrew Shaver, whose live shows seamlessly blend intimate storytelling, compelling musicianship, and theatrical performance to create unforgettable audience experiences. His lyric driven songwriting and expansive, melodic arrangements, blend indie folk with a theatrical sense of atmosphere and emotional depth.
His most recent single, Holding On, spent 7 weeks on the CBC Music Top 20 hitting #1 in December, 2025.
CLEVER HOPES debuted with Artefact (January 2022), produced by Matthew Barber. Songs from the album were synced on television, and added to rotation across several SiriusXM channels, as well as CBC Radio One, CBC Music, & CBC Radio 3. Artefact was named One of the Top Four Canadian Albums of the Year by Great Dark Wonder and hailed as “such a beautiful album” by Glen Hansard.
Live Solo, Unplugged North, Toronto, Sept 2025
Live Band, Sanctuary Arts Centre, Dartmouth NS, May 2024
Live Trio, Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, Feb 2023
In May 2024, Shaver released his second album, New Kind of Familiar, also produced by Barber. The record deepened CLEVER HOPES’ signature sound with layered compositions and evocative lyrics about connection and change. It charted for weeks in the NACC Top 200 and was nominated for Americana Album of the Year at the 2025 Music Nova Scotia Awards.
A highly anticipated third album is set for a September 2026 release, produced by Daniel Ledwell in Nova Scotia, featuring collaborators including Afie Jurvanen, Kyle Cunjak, Joshua Van Tassel, Reeny and Hailey Smith, Breagh Isabel, Kelly McMichael, and Jenn Grant. The second single, Keep On Going, releases February 5, 2026.
“SUCH A BEAUTIFUL RECORD. SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST PUT ON AND GO WITH. WHAT A RARE THING.” GLEN HANSARD ON ARTEFACT
“AN ALBUM FOR ALL OCCASIONS.” AMERICANA UK ON NEW KIND OF FAMILIAR
NOMINATED AMERICANA ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2025 MUSIC NOVA SCOTIA AWARDS (NEW KIND OF FAMILIAR)
“HOLDING ON SWAYS LIKE A NIGHTDRESS, A LOVELY SONG BY CLEVER HOPES.” SLOWCITY.CA
HOLDING ON hit #1 on The CBC MUSIC TOP 20 & was the 10th most voted for song on the countdown in all of 2025.