In a recent exploration of the history of Aussie pub rock, we mused on what would be our seminal pick if we had to describe to distant aliens what makes up the Australian sound. For me it is The Smith Street Band. Needless to say, I was more than a bit excited to see them drop a brand new single this week. There is something about that fiercely spat thickly accented drawl that sums up every hazy late night bar room disappointment, and every sharply lit new day. It is just so very raw.
New single, I Scare Myself Sometimes, featuring Lucy Wilson of The Sugar Canes shows a rarely seen softer side to the bands gritty sound. The track opens with her angelic vocals and sparse instrumentation, before being juxtaposed against front man Wil Wagners husky growl. Complete with strings, it is a poetic ballad with viscous lyrics about heartbreak, love and what you find at the bottom of every bottle.
The track has been released with an electric clip created by Celeste Potter, who has recently worked with Courtney Barnett, DZ Deathrays and Regurgitator. Check it out below.
And make sure to check out the guys on their upcoming Australian tour. Supported by The Sugarcanes, there is a good chance to see this track in all it’s live glory.
THE SMITH STREET BAND – AUSTRALIAN TOUR
w/ special guests ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD (USA), THE SIDEKICKS (USA)
& THE SUGARCANES
Fri Sep 4 – Poison City Weekender @ 170 Russell, Melbourne º – SOLD OUT
Sun Sep 6 – Poison City Weekender @ Corner Hotel, Melbourne (U18) º
Wed Sep 9 – Manning Bar, Sydney
Thu Sep 10 – Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Fri Sep 11 – Magpies, Canberra (Lic. AA)
Sat Sep 12 – I Love Life @ Metro, Sydney º – SOLD OUT
Sun Sep 13 – I Love Life @ The Tivoli, Brisbane º – SELLING FAST
Wed Sep 16 – Brisbane Hotel, Hobart
Thu Sep 17 – The Gov, Adelaide (Lic. AA)
Fri Sep 18 – Metro, Fremantle º^
Sat Sep 19 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Sun Sep 20 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne – SOLD OUT
Fri Sep 25 – Railway Club, Darwin *^
Sat Sep 26 – The Grand, Cairns *^
Sun Sep 27 – Flinders Social, Townsville *^
Thu Oct 1 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore *^
Fri Oct 2 – The Northern, Byron Bay *^
Sat Oct 3 – Yours & Owls Festival Weekender, Wollongong *
Sun Oct 4 – Yours & Owls Festival Weekender, Wollongong (AA)*