Seán McGowan is excited to announce the release of his debut album, Son of the Smith, through Xtra Mile Recordings on 11 May 2018. Preorder the album on CD, LP and digital now.
The first single taken from the album is ‘Off the Rails’, out today (14 February) which you can check out below.
‘Off the Rails’ sears along with an e-bow guitar drone thrumming underneath while Seán gives the lyrical equivalent of an arm around the shoulder and kiss on the cheek of his mates for being there for him.
As a glimpse into Son of the Smith, it captures his band absolutely ploughing through the parts he wrote for them. In that spirit, Son of the Smith captures everything live. Recording at SS2 Studios in Southend with labelmate Sam Duckworth (AKA Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.) and Jay Malhotra, drums were done without a click-track, each instrument colliding with the rhythm. “It feels urgent, like it could tip over the edge at any point,” Seán says.
‘Porky Pies’ returns to that cheeky pace, sure, jeering at commercial bullshit and fakery. ‘Romance Ain’t Dead’ though is a horn-addled scrabble for passion and love. There are hints of classic solo Seán on the quieter, finger-picked ‘Life Has a Way’ and the affecting arpeggios of ‘Oh My Days’, if more sensitive than before. But on ‘Local Boy’ he’s really looking beyond his own limits with a delicate tangle of pedal steel and strumming that reflects upon Seán’s growth since spending his youth in Southampton
There’s a spine of a concept running through the album, and one of Seán’s oldest ideas for the record: a journey across London between Old Street, Oval and Camberwell, itself a trek through Seán’s current sound. “The city’s breathing,” he begins on opener ‘Mind the Doors’, an undulating spoken word mantra upon a solo acoustic introduction via a bus journey to one of the key refrains to come. The mantra returns, announcing the album’s second half, and this time Seán’s bank card is declined on ‘Mind Your Head’ despite the warm piano promising more exploration. The album closes with drums rumbling as a metronome for Seán’s pitch-perfect grime-tinged flow into the six-minute tube journey on ‘Mind the Gap’. He peers out of his misery at the uncaring floods of commuters while lines peel off along the tracks – “keep tellin’ me to mind the gap, as the space between us grows” and “there ain’t no love on the Northern Line”. The final part of the trilogy, it’s the perfect epilogue to a heartfelt run through his life.
Over 13 tracks, Son of the Smith is disarming in its scope, surprising in its erudite tackling of life’s challenges, and strong of voice with just a dab of laddish humour – the aural personification of Seán himself. McGowan could end up soundtracking our social conscience well into next year.
Son of the Smith tracklisting
- Mind The Doors
- Cuppa Tea
- Romance Ain’t Dead
- Skin & Bone
- Porkie Pies
- Oh My Days
- Mind Your Head
- Springhill
- Local Boy
- Auto Pilot
- Life Has A Way
- Off The Rails
- Mind The Gap
Seá has a huge year lined up in support of the album. Ending 2017 supporting Billy Bragg through the UK he began the year touring with labelmate Will Varley. March sees him head back to his roots in Ireland for a short tour there, before joining up with Will Varley again for a European run in April. Coinciding with the album release he will play a short headline tour throughout May as well as joining Frank Turner for a main stage slot at the Lost Evenings 2 Festival at the Roundhouse in London. Full dates below. More to be announced.
MARCH (HEADLINE SHOWS)
06 Cork @ Brú Bar
07 Galway @ The Secret Garden
08 Limerick @ Mother Mac’s
09 Dublin @ Vintage Room
11 Belfast @ Drone Mansions
29 London @ 100 Club – supporting Ferocious Dog
APRIL (SUPPORTING WILL VARLEY)
04 Leiden, The Netherlands @ Gebr De Nobel
05 Utrecht,The Netherlands @ Tivolevredenburg
06 Arnhem, The Netherlands @ Luxor Live
07 Groningen, The Netherlands @ Vera
08 Hamburg, Germany @ Monkey’s Music Club
09 Berlin, Germany @ Bi Nuu
10 Kassel, Germany @ Goldgrube
11 Munster, Germany @ Gleis 22
12 Trier, Germany @ Lucky Luke’s
13 Cologne, Germany @ Artheater
14 Hannover, Germany @ Lux
15 Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachthof
17 Karlsruhe, Germany @ Jubez
18 Munich, Germany @ Kranhalle
19 Baden, Switzerland @ Nordportel
20 Winterthur, Switzerland @ Gaswerk
21 Milan, Italy @ Serraglio
MAY (SUPPORTING FRANK TURNER)
14 London @ Roundhouse (Lost Evenings II)
MAY (UK HEADLINE TOUR)
15 London @ Monarch
26 Kingston @ Fighting Cocks
27 Bristol @ Crofter’s Rights
28 Birmingham @ Sunflower Lounge
29 Nottingham @ Bodega
31 Sheffield @ Totem
JUNE (UK HEADLINE TOUR)
01 Leeds @ Santiagos
02 Southampton @ Joiners
03 Cardiff @ Tiny Rebel
05 Exeter @ Cavern
07 Cambridge @ Portland Arms
08 Oxford @ Cellar
09 Reading @ Rising Sun Arts Centre
Image: Ben Morse www.ben-morse.com