Indie favourites Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird continue to showcase gorgeous instrumentation and songwriting that's rich in tangible feels with the release of their third studio album 'Smiles Of Earth'.
Gliding through Americana, indie folk, and country-tinged rock, 'Smiles Of Earth' is a ten-track collection that was produced by frontman Lachlan Rose alongside producer Stephen Charles, with additional engineering by Harry Leithhead and Guy Faletolu.LA-based Australian award-winning engineer Matthew Neighbour (Matt Corby, The Avalanches, Middle Kids) took the final reins for the mix, while the album was mastered by George Georgiadis.
"Like most albums, 'Smiles of Earth' has been a labour of deep love," Rose says. "Thwarted by lockdowns and the creative process itself, we attempted to make this record in numerous ways.
"Thanks to the patience and dedication of the band members, as well as the nurturing talents of producer Stephen Charles, the album was finally realised at The Aviary in Abbotsford, Melbourne.
"The inner themes of peacefulness and positive perspective truly levitated the performers throughout the recording process and they embodied its spirit wholeheartedly.
"I think that spirit is now undeniable in the sound of the album. In a word, this album was written to make you smile.
"As the name leans towards, 'Smiles Of Earth' comes from a place of inherent peacefulness," continues Lachlan.
"Inspired by Albert Camus' 'The Myth Of Sisyphus', the phrase captures the natural beauty of the world we live in, which is ever-present but not necessarily always appreciated.
"While the songs certainly explore the struggles involved in obtaining these positive perspectives, the overall feeling I wanted to leave people with was the choice. The choice between meaninglessness and beauty."
Here, Lachlan shares some photos and stories from the 'Smiles Of Earth' recording sessions.
1: Fran blew through the recording sessions like a hurricane. Such a force. Such a professional. She was with us for two days and sang virtually the whole time. This was her taking a rare and much needed break to fan her own fire with a gum tree.
2: Pete and Fran recording the wailing 'baby' vocals on 'When This Is Over' was arguably the apex of the recording experience. It was proper studio magic. We'd done all the nuanced, difficult stuff and knew we just needed this last section of total vocal mayhem.
I didn't have a plan, I just knew I wanted their two voices to soar over the track. Fran opened a bottle of Chardonnay, which disappeared quickly between takes. The rest of the band were cheering them on like footy players on the bench. It was just f...ing marvellous to behold.
3: Pete's slide guitar addition to 'Happy Place' was spontaneous and exquisite. In my mind, the song was done already. Then he improvised that part over the top, and it was like it had always been there. It perfectly reflected the Australian bush setting we were recording it.
4: Me laying down the piano for 'Bluestone'. That main part graduated from guitar, to piano to brass. This photo was captured during its adolescence.
5: Our bassist Matthew Hayes is a wizard. I normally just stay out of his musical way. But 'Happy Place' is a subtly nuanced bassline and we had to work through it together. It felt like finding the sculpture within the stone. We found it together and he chiselled it to absolute perfection.
Cousin Tony's Brand New Firebird 2022 Tour Dates
Sat 24 Sep - Wanderer Festival (South Coast)Fri 30 Sep - Mo's Desert Clubhouse (Gold Coast)
Sat 1 Oct - Woolly Mammoth (Brisbane)
Thu 6 Oct - The Cambridge (Newcastle)
Fri 7 Oct - Oxford Art Factory (Sydney)
Sat 8 Oct - La La La's (Wollongong)
Fri 14 Oct - The Eastern (Ballarat)
Sat 15 Oct - The Lab (Adelaide)
Fri 21 Oct - The Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Sat 5 Nov - Euroa Music Festival (VIC)
Sat 12 Nov - Backyard Festival @ Harmony's Hill (Faraday, VIC)
