Wednesday nights, in the back room of a warmly-lit antique store chock-o-block with vintage treasures and unique instruments, small-town Ontario band, Bet Smith & The Currie Brothers rehearse to a crowd of one mannequin and several old porcelain dolls. It was in that same space that the group first met and decided to make music together.
Tightropes & Loose Ends pulls together tracks from three years of collaboration between singer-songwriter, Bet Smith and multi-instrumentalists, Rob and Andrew Currie. The album title highlights their newest single, Tightropes, along with the band’s first release, Loose Ends – the two tracks acting as bookends to a period of time over which strangers met, made music, developed a familial bond, let art consume their lives, pushed and pulled to find their audience, and eventually returned to calm with new awareness.
Over the course of recording Tightropes & Loose Ends, Bet Smith and the Currie Brothers were joined in the studio by several friends and family members. A handful of celebrated Canadian musicians - Johnny Fay and Miranda Mulholland to name two - made their way onto the album’s tracks, as did friends from the nearby pub and patrons of Currie’s Music, the brothers’ vintage music store. Sarah Girdwood – one of those friends met at the pub – joined the band in 2016 as harmony vocalist, percussionist and bass player and remains a permanent and essential band member.
The album is largely dark and brooding in both sound and subject matter. Pulsing rhythms and ambient instrumentals build off of a folk foundation, creating an affecting overall sound that is difficult to label. Alt-country and indie-pop influences are clearly apparent on a number of tracks, while others lean heavily into less-structured, experimental genres.
Re-appearing themes include nature, the environment and survivalism, strength and feminism, desire and regret.
Produced by Rob Currie, Tightropes & Loose Ends was predominantly recorded and mixed in a dimly lit, cozy studio tucked away in the Currie brothers' vintage music store in Gravenhurst, Ontario.
Press
07-12-2016
"Having made a mark with the folk-oriented 2015 EP Loose Ends, Ontario singer/songwriter Bet Smith delves deeply into traditional country on this highly accomplished new full-length.
Descriptions of Smith as alt-country are off the mark, as this is authentic honkytonk (Lindi Ortega is a valid reference point). She has a robust voice that fits the genre perfectly, as do the fiddle work of Miranda Mulholland and pedal steel of Aaron Goldstein (Daniel Romano). The sibling rhythm section of Andrew and Rob Currie is equally effective, with Rob Currie doing double duty as producer. The material is salt-of-the-earth stuff, with Smith reportedly drawing upon her own blue-collar labouring experiences (she worked as a welder on the set of Drake's "Hotline Bling" video).”
- Kerry Doole, Exclaim!
03-26-2016
"Let it suffice to say that, in a world with too much soul-less, lyric-challenged music rising to the top, Bet Smith & The Currie Brothers are the real deal. They have created something organic, unique, and very captivating for their audiences, and one listen will convince even the most jaded music lover that there is something very special about this band. ”
- Jamie Oppenheimer and Shauna Leigh Taylor, Hunter's Bay Radio
06-21-2016
"I love the way these musicians have blended together to create this sound that is beautifully layered to give the music so much depth to match the lyrics which have a must hear story telling quality. Again I need to mention Bet’s vocal abilities as they are such a delight to listen to which is perfectly demonstrated on my favourite song called ‘Lone Wolf’. This song is simplistic in sound which leaves the centre stage for Bet to deliver a delicate tone that is spellbinding."
- James Wilson, My Random Jukebox
06-21-2016
Smith’s bringing some country flair to her music. Pick out your favorite boots before you play this album. There’s a little swing and swagger to this country songstress. The title track “Loose Ends” lives in a minor key and it really can be a bit unsettling. I think that’s intentional. Smith’s vocal quality is weathered and familiar, putting listeners in mind of someone like Joan Baez. “Lone Wolf” begins with a sweet, expressive vocal that will give listeners chills. This is an underestimated but exceptional little album. Don’t miss it.
- Ear to the Ground Music
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CONTACT
Pine Lake Records
greatmusic (at) pinelakerecords (dot) com
647-880-8396
Booking: Bet Smith
info (at) betsmithmusic (dot) com
