P is for Panda, the new imprint of Hopeless Records, today announced the signing of young Canadian singer/songwriter Andy Shauf, whose debut album Darker Days will be in stores on May 19th, 2009. Darker Days will also be the second full-length album released by the Cumming, GA-based label, which donates a portion of profits to charity.

Shauf, 21, grew up like any regular kid in Saskatchewan, Canada, playing the sports that fit each season in a climate that ranges from coldest to warmest in the region. Entirely self-taught with the exception of a few drum lessons as a child, he began writing songs seriously around the age of 13 but never shared them with anyone, instead keeping them a secret hidden from even those closest to him. Over time he amassed a pile of demos, bedroom recordings he’d made based on all the harmonies, notes, sounds, and stories that would bounce around in his head every day.

Darker Days, on which Shauf plays every instrument (mandolin, banjo, xylophone, guitar, and drums, to name a few), is a compilation of his favorite moments from that very demo collection, re-recorded and mixed during his first time in a real studio. Whether it’s the hint of old-time swing in “Your Heart,” the melancholy, banjo-picked yearnings of “In Town,” or the hopeful closer “You Remind Me,” Darker Days is a charming, romantic indie folk album, alternately wistful and moody, and all anchored by Shauf’s sweet, plaintive tenor.

Full track listing for Darker Days:
1. Your Heart
2. Crushes
3. In Town
4. Gone
5. The Darker Nights
6. The Greatest Moments
7. Let’s Be
8. Were You In Love With Me
9. How Long
10. Give Me Words
11. You Remind Me

Darker Days was originally released by Shameless Records in Canada only last year. Visit http://pisforpanda.com or http://www.myspace.com/andyshauf for more details.