After an exceptionally busy 2016 that has seen The Smith Street Band spend most of the year playing headline shows across the world, including North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia, the four-piece return with a brand new single in ‘Death To The Lads’.
Penned on the road whilst driving through America, ‘Death To The Lads’ has crept into their live set and become an instant fan favourite with its call-to-arms chorus, again displaying songwriter Wil Wagner’s knack of serendipitously turning blight into beauty. “It’s mainly about growing up and changing,” he says of the song’s themes, “admitting we make mistakes and trying to improve ourselves.”
The song was recorded in September at Panoramic House studios in San Francisco with an all-star cast of producer Jeff Rosenstock, engineer Jack Shirley and mixer John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady).
Accompanying the single is the heartwarming film clip directed by Neal Walters and featuring The Smith Street Mums – the mothers of each of the four members, as they spend a day in the life of the band: waking up in their Footscray share house, journeying through the Western Suburbs in a tour van and culminating in a sold-out show at The Reverence Hotel. “It was a great chance to thank and appreciate the people who have done more for us than anyone, our families. We basically wanted our mums to get to be rock stars for the day and get some credit for helping us get this far,” says Wagner.
‘Death To The Lads’ is the first taste of the The Smith Street Band’s fourth record, to be released in early 2017 via their own, newly established label Pool House Records. The band will launch the single this month with shows in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, supported by The Nation Blue, fresh from launching back to back albums, instrumental psych-trio Grim Rhythm and Brisbane experimental pop band Forever.
‘DEATH TO THE LADS’ TOUR DATES
The Smith Street Band
w/ special guests The Nation Blue, Grim Rhythm and Forever
* The Nation Blue not appearing
Wed November 23rd – The Gov, Adelaide
Thurs November 24th – The Triffid, Brisbane
Fri November 25th – Factory Theatre, Sydney
Sat November 26th – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Sun November 27th – Corner Hotel, Melbourne w/ High Tension *