THEIR first album exceeded expectations and produced three number one singles and now Bathurst music duo Smith & Jones are back in the studio to record again.
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Smith & Jones’ debut album, Dark Gives Way, was released in early 2016 and they have been touring the songs ever since.
This second as-yet-unnamed album, like the first, is filled with songs penned by singer and pianist Abby Smith.
“I write them in their most basic form and then take them to Sophie,” she said.
“There’s a couple of piano tracks and we sing them together.”
A lot of it still fits into the country genre, but not quite so cleanly.
- Abby Smith from Smith & Jones
Ms Smith said she and fellow Smith & Jones member Sophie Jones wanted the new album to be a little different to the last.
“The music on this second album is quite different,” she said.
“A lot of it still fits into the country genre, but not quite so cleanly.”
Guitarist Matt Ferry, who often plays with Smith & Jones, has also been part of the recording process.
“He’s such a big part of the Smith & Jones sound,” Ms Jones said.
Smith & Jones are splitting their recording time between Linear Recording and Love Hz studios and both agree that it is a very different experience recording their second album compared to their first.
“It’s harder, it’s a bit more pressure to deliver something,” Ms Smith said.
“We’re doing a lot of it live using a different studio.”
Ms Jones said the decision to record live was very deliberate.
READ MORE: Debut album's stories of light and dark
“It’s like they used to do it in the 70s,” she said.
“But it’s been a challenge because if one of us makes a mistake we’ve got to start over.”
While Smith & Jones’ first album was entirely self-funded, this time around the duo have used crowd-funding platform Pozible to help raise some funds for recording.
They have offered up a range of gifts such as albums and merchandise in exchange for donations.
They set a goal of $5000 and reached it within a fortnight, but Ms Jones said any additional funds raised will still go towards the recording, manufacturing and mastering of the new album.
Visit www.pozible.com/project/smith-and-jones-second-album to make a donation.
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
