SMITH AND JONES DEBUT ALBUM LAUNCH

Big sounds in a small town

Smith & Jones have a love for small towns, making Jayes Gallery at Molong the perfect location to debut their long awaited album ‘Dark Gives Way’ on Friday 17 March.  Hailing from Bathurst and Tamworth respectively, keyboard player and vocalist Abby Smith, met guitarist, harmonica player and vocalist Sophie Jones in a record store in 2013 where they bonded over a love of classic country and blues.

Though their small-town roots had similarities, their music upbringing couldn’t be more contrasting. Sophie Jones grew up on a blend of classic country and old school rock (think Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles) as well as Australian legends such as Kevin Bennett, who she saw play many time as a kid growing up in Tamworth. Soul music and jazz (as well as endless Joni Mitchel) were Abby’s very first influences as a child, and she can recall staying home from school to learn sing like Aretha or Nina.

Together, these influences have been the basis of Smith & Jones’s charm, and though their voices offer their own unique appeal when solo, it is together that they find their true expressive power. During their time together they have played countless gigs, supported Dragon and The Pigs at the Crooked Mountain Festival, played shows with the likes of Archie Roach, Kate Miller-Heidke, Tex Perkins & The Ape and The Black Sorrows with Vika & Linda Bull as part of Bathurst’s Inland Sea of Sound Festival.  

The past 12 months they have spent writing and developing a more mature and sensitive sound to when they started. This year sees Smith & Jones release their debut album, ‘Dark Gives Way’, recorded with Michael Carpenter at Love Hz in Sydney. Though their roots will always remain in the foundations of country music, their originals have found an undefinable energy of their own. Part classic country ballads, part sweet jazz standards, and often with a tongue firmly planted in their cheek, their beauty is in their harmonic simplicity and lyrical power.

Hear the result of all their hard work this Friday evening at Jayes Gallery from 6.30pm. Tickets are available via jayesgallery.com.au

ENDS

Media Note: For more information contact Libby Oldham, Jayes Gallery (02) 6366 9093