Buzz is building for the upcoming second album from Bathurst music duo Smith & Jones, and the pair has offered an intriguing taste of what’s to come with the release of the album’s debut single.
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‘Secondhand Heart’ was released on January 25 while the duo, featuring Abby Smith on vocals/piano and Sophie Jones on vocals/guitar, were at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
The single was released with an accompanying film clip that provides viewers with a fascinating look into the duo’s musical partnership.
“Our previous film clips followed a very literal story, but with this one, we’ve allowed ourselves to be a bit more ambiguous with the meaning and leave it open to interpretation,” Ms Smith said.
“So many people have watched it and have taken a range of different things from it,” Ms Jones added.
Filmed at Tremain’s Mill, the film clip adopts a cinematic feel and merges music with movement to create a bold audiovisual experience.
‘Secondhand Heart’ is the first single off Smith & Jones’ second album Something Worth Learning, which is slated for release in March.
The song explores the concepts of love, loss, frustration, friendship and the desire to overcome the adverse and mundane.
Using a bed as the key object, the film clip adds meaning to these concepts via a host of relatable characters.
“I’d had the idea of a bed being the centrepiece of a film clip for a long time,” Ms Smith said.
Our previous film clips followed a very literal story, but with this one, we’ve allowed ourselves to be a bit more ambiguous with the meaning and leave it open to interpretation.
- Abby Smith
“We took the idea to Adam [Deusien, Lingua Franca co-director], and he shaped the idea into a physical and theatrical creation."
The film clip was directed and choreographed by Lingua Franca co-directors Adam Deusien and Alison Plevey, and was filmed by James Arrow and Tom Druitt from Rusty Shutter Films.
“When the opportunity came to work with two regional arts groups, there was no way Abby and I could pass it up,” Ms Jones said.
To date, the film clip for ‘Secondhand Heart’ has received 6500 views online.
Smith & Jones have recently returned from a well-received batch of shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival; their fourth appearance at the event.
“The fact that the festival was very female-centred this year was amazing,” Ms Jones said.
“We don’t fully fit the country mould anymore, and it was nice to see other artists at Tamworth pushing the boundaries of the genre,” Ms Smith added.
The album launch for Something Worth Learning is scheduled for March 9, with a venue to be announced in the coming days.
Tickets will go on sale on Friday, February 15.
Stay tuned for updates through Smith & Jones’ Facebook page.