Viro Records: Press

Drew Smith's Lonely Choir:Not So Lonely and in Good Company!
By Suzanne Rothberg

Austin, TX based singer/songwriter Drew Smith and his band "The Lonely Choir" (Viro Records) burst on to the music scene with their latest critically acclaimed CD "Drew Smith's Lonely Choir" to rave reviews. It includes "Nilsson Sings Newman" and "Are You Lonely?". But don't be fooled by part of the name "choir"; his genre is nowhere near gospel music, as some might get thrown off by it! He considers his music to be a mixture of pop and rock, with a taste of jazzy R&B soul thrown in. Drew and his band will be playing two New York City dates; on Sunday October 25th at Rockwood Music Hall, and on Monday October 26th at The Living Room. The album is distributed solely online on ITunes and downloads through the website:
http://www.fatcaddyplus.com. It is also distributed in some stores.
Smith 30, talked about his musical background, latest CD and his upcoming shows. "I got the name from the song on the record called "Are you Lonely?" and we had the choir going when we were singing the song, and I shouted out, "The Lonely Choir!" and the name just stuck so we just thought we would call it "The Lonely Choir!" "That was the idea if you think about it whether it would fit or not, the whole idea was supposed to be dynamic and the name rolled off the tongue!" "It will probably change, the next record will be something different, I'm not completely attached to that title, it's like "what this band became." "Even if I'm using the same players, it might be something different next time!" He said in a telephone interview from his cell phone. He's in town in Williamsburg, Brooklyn recording at Shabby Road Studios. "I've been in Austin, Texas for seven years, and I've just been a local musician with this record we felt we were ready to try and expand and tell other people about it; Viro Records an independent record label based in Philadelphia and a local label in Austin got involved and merged together a team so now we're trying to spread the word." He added, "Wednesday night we did a party for a PR firm called "Giant Noise" in town, and now we'll be at the Rockwood on Sunday and on Monday night at The Living Room." Smith said the record is doing quite well. "When we toured during the summer "The Lonely Choir" record received a lot of press, and a lot of publications in Texas put it in their "top 10" Texas albums of the year, Austin.com quoted it as "The best Austin album of the year in 2008" it came out late 2008, locally then we did it nationally September 15th,we booked our first tour after having that press and all of the sudden, we were able to get into really big joints throughout the mid-west." "I think we just bit off more than we can chew, and we were playing bigger clubs which we were excited about, but we couldn't draw to fill those clubs, it's still kind of a big lesson for us, then we start from the bottom again; make sure that we don't get over our heads." "So if it's playing in front of 20 people in a club in Kansas, who know the music, sing along to you, it's better than opening for people who are waiting for the next band, so that's a lesson that we've learned and that's what we're doing right now!"
His influences are Van Morrison, Harry Nilsson, and Ray Davies. He said that his music "by default" resembles theirs. " The last record I was listening to Harry Nilsson all the time, Van Morrison goes back to the roots of what I listened to as a kid." "Then in my early 20's, I got "super-involved" with the Kinks and their record, so they kind of lay more of a background I think." "For this particular record, there's a lot of piano on it, so I try to get my keyboard player to play a bit more "choppy" so the influences are in there in the hope that your "art" is unique." "I'm playing some shows and working the Northeast." "We'll be in Vermont and when I go on these "road trips" it's hard to make any money we're trying to shorten the time when we go to places, we're just out here for a week, trying to get out here every couple of months." "I live in Austin and play all around Texas, I live there with my wife and probably will live there the rest of my life!" he said.
When asked if he feels it's tough to break into the music industry as a newcomer especially in a turbulent economy, his response was "It's a push/pull tug of war type of thing." "There's some days I wish a big label would swoop us up and take care of everything. "It's a very interesting business that I'm just learning more about, as I get older and get more into it. It's constantly moving for today's modern artist. it's way different than being a classic artist that we all looked up to and it's hard to live that same lifestyle and be creative within that." he said. "People who are on independent labels have other jobs, it's really a side business that you're starting from the very bottom and try to make a "splash in the big pool" of the music industry. But at 30 I don't feel like I'm too old, and there's a lot to learn. You're just forced to learn it whether you like it or not, you have to if you want to try and let people know about your artwork."
Drew's bandmates are Matt Russell on piano/organ/arranger, Ryan Bowman on bass, and Kyle Thompson on drums. The Band fluctuates around with Jake Owen on electric guitar, Brian Beken on mandolin/fiddle, and Kyle Thompson also on drums.
The label found his publicist, Pati Devries. She worked with some clients that one of the employees of the label worked with and she now works on PR for Drew's record.
Drew's fan base is widespread in Austin, TX but he says the band is trying to build bigger fan base. "I've heard some people have heard my record and I'm like "Wow, how did that happen?" and it just kind of filtered through knowing there's a lot of work to be done, so I don't know exactly if I have a large fan base or not!"
His next project is recording another album and more touring.
For more info:www.drewsmithmusic.com and www.deviousplanet.com.

Atlanta Music Guide CD Review: Drew Smith -- Drew Smith's Lonely Choir

Austinite Drew Smith is everything that's right with CDs, both musically and aesthetically. For the visual sense, this is a gorgeous CD. Dave Schwab's intricate pen and ink drawings are whimsical, and the artistry on the liner notes is brilliant. This is a wonderfully packaged CD.

What is so amazing is that the music is just as great. Andrew Smith is a gifted songwriter who wears his influences on his sleeve. In case you wondered who they are, he opens the CD with the bouncy piano tune, "Nilsson Sings Newman," about a loserish guy who thinks his life will get a little better if he can convince his girlfriend to listen to Harry's album of Randy's songs.

Ray Davies of The Kinks and Van Morrison are also represented. On "Silver Pictures," if Smith's blued-eyed soul isn't enough to recall Morrison, the song's topics of women, barrooms and music surely do the trick.

"Instead of diamonds, I'm gonna buy you the truth," boasts Smith on "Diamonds." This CD feels the same way. Smith has no intention of blowing your mind with over the top production or jaw-droppingly shocking lyrics. Instead, he writes perfectly-crafted pop songs that will make you happy, sad, lonely and hopeful, sometimes all in one song. And if that ain't that the truth, I don't know what is.

The Austinist CD Review: DREW SMITH’S LONELY CHOIR

What’s the Deal: Giving generally good music a label is no fun. It’s usually inaccurate, and it’s always limiting. When you encounter groups like Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir, the best thing to do is just say it’s an amalgamation of so many of the good aspects of several genres like rock, indie, blues even jazz. But, if you want the best description, you have got to check out the Austin group during South by.

“Are You Lonely” is a great example of a mix of multiple sounds, not competing, but working together to fill out the music and create a compounded experience. There’s a very strong melodic component with complementary tones in the guitar and keys, and there’s also a lounge feel to the snappy, rattling drums and piano. Then, the bluesy horns blast throughout give it all a sense of pomp and class.

Something Interesting: You can catch them playing Antone’s February 26th at the Best of Austin Music Volume 8 CD release party.

Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “NYC Song” and “Nilsson Sings Newman”

October 26th 2008 by Noel Nocciolo

Find Of The Day: Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir!

This is the best band you’ve probably never heard. I mean that with all of the love in the world, because every band starts out with only a handful of listeners outside of their hometown. I have to say, in my multiple occasions over the last few years at large-scale music festivals, there are very few occasions when I see something that blows me away before I’ve even had my morning (or afternoon…) coffee. Drew Smith gives me hope that good music, regardless of the label of ‘pop’ or ‘rock’ or ‘alternative’ exists in the twenty-first century. He put together a group of some of Austin’s finest musicians, hours of work, and dollars out-of-pocket, and released an album that not only is a work of art to view, but a work of art to experience in a stereo or in headphones. (CLICK ON THE LINK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

Top 10 Austin CDs of 2008
Written by Dante Dominick

#1 DREW SMITH – DREW SMITH’S LONELY CHOIR
Viro / Fat Caddy Records – Released 9/5/08
Drew Smith's Lonely ChoirFrom the opening notes of staccato piano, ears perk up to this record with an inquisitive canine-quality. But we’re not listening to determine squirrel, cat, or intruder. Our senses are wrapping around pop melodies emerging from thin air, wondering how the trumpets, trombone, and banjo got in the yard. You can’t escape this album without thinking of The Beatles, Van Morrison, and The Kinks (especially the horn charts of Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)). Though Smith would beg you to expand your musical mind to include Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman, who he immortalizes—along with the very act of geeking out to great records—in “Nilsson Sings the Songs of Newman.” While Smith wrote all the songs, and delivers with a commanding presence, a nod certainly needs to be steered toward Matt Russell, who arranged all the compositions masterfully along with playing all keys (piano, organ, Rhodes, Wurlitzer). If you ever get stuck on that proverbial island, any of the ten on this list would be good to have with you, but Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir will leave you felling good as much as you are satisfied. Read some more about Drew Smith here.

Written by Tamara Dwyer
Published September 07, 2008

Sometimes lost in the roots-rock, alt-country sound that has come to typify Austin music is a handful of very, very good pop bands with chart-topping success, such as Spoon and Fastball. Such a band is Drew Smith's Lonely Choir. Smith is a self-described disciple of '70s pop, a sound that — on his new album — is freshly updated and beautifully delivered.

The opening track, "Nilsson Sings Newman", gets its title from an album on which Harry Nilsson sings Randy Newman songs. The song describes listening to a new album with a good friend and letting your troubles go, realizing that "things are only getting better over time anyway". It serves as the perfect opening for a studio album that continues the tradition of two of the most prolific singer-songwriters in American pop music: Randy Newman ("Mama Told Me Not to Come" and many more) and Harry Nilsson ("Everybody's Talkin'" and many more).

The lush songs flow gently from one to another, artfully arranged by Drew Smith's longtime collaborator, Matt Russell. All the songs are original compositions except "New Year's Day," on which Smith and Russell share writing credits. Friendship is a theme throughout many of the songs; "NYC Song" tells a tale of a sunny day spent with a good friend in the city, followed by the toe-tapping "Diamonds" with an offer to buy his baby the truth.

In "Silver Pictures" Smith channels another of his idols, Van Morrison, with rich saxophone backing the tale of a concert road trip and the illusions and disillusions of youth. Each song has a distinct sound and showcases different instruments; "Silver Pictures" is followed by dreamy pedal steel guitar and piano of "New Year's Day," balanced by Smith's rich voice. The tone of the album slowly shifts as we "Travel My Dark Road."

My favorite song on the album is "Follow Me Down." After humming it to myself for a few days, I took a cue from the opening track and listened to it with my best friend, who pronounced this tune as "Silky smooth pop with a hook I can't believe I'm not hearing on the radio." Another highlight of the album is "Are You Lonely," which is a full-on press of instrumentation and vocals which sound anything but lonely. The call and response vocals with "the lonely choir" give the album its name. When the band performs live, the entire audience sings along to this rousing tune. The entire album is marked by the subtle changes and variety between songs, woven together to provide a continuous flow of wistful optimism. The last song, "Home," closes the album with a short note of blissful happiness, fitting for a compilation dedicated to Smith's wife, Shelley.

The album was recorded in Drew Smith's hometown of Austin, Texas, a town steeped in an Americana vibe. Although many of Austin's finest musicians with that rockin' country sound contribute (including Kim Deschamps on pedal steel, Warren Hood on fiddle, and Dustin Welch on banjo and resonator guitar) this album does not share the twangy rockabilly sound of many Austin recordings. Fans of Chuck Prophet, Coldplay or Oasis might find Drew Smith's album resonates for them.
(CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

Houston Chronicle
By: Andrwe Dansby

One of my favorite albums to come out of Austin this year, Drew Smith's Lonely Choir immediately sets itself up as manna for music geeks. "Thought I'd phone with hopes you'd listen," Andrew Smith sings on Nilsson Sings Newman. "Found a record that will blow your mind. Nilsson sings the songs of Newman. Melodies old, and I swear that it will make you cry."

The boozy, loser-y despair that prompts misguided certainty is all there. Those who treat music as study (and as sweetheart) always think she'll love it. And she never does. Who loves Nilsson Sings Newman? Nerds.

But that's OK. Smith and his Choir are nothing if not self-aware, and that's part of this album's charm. Smith plays contrasts with a mad scientist's devious glee. He does a great job pitting a bouncing Bacharachlike piano against a weepy pedal steel on New Year's Day. Strings and a banjo play nice together on NYC Song. Sloppy bop-ba-da's bounce nicely against brass on Diamonds.
(CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE)

Austin.com
By: Dante Dominick

Beatlesque is a term bandied about rather frequently. But how often do you think, “this could’ve been a Beatles album”? Drew Smith’s Lonely Choir is a modern day Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band right down to the brilliant packaging, the insert an elaborately cut, hand-drawing of a military band from a bygone era. Lest we get carried too far with a Beatles motif, there are times Smith seems more the progeny of Van Morrison (“Silver Pictures”), as well as some undertones of wispy-fiddle Americana (“NYC Song”) totally foreign to the Fab Four. But starting with the first staccato piano of opener “Nilsson Sings Newman,” it’s a thought that keeps sneaking in while listening to Drew Smith. The remarkably crafty song arrangements (a big nod goes to Matt Russell, who also plays all the keys), the enraptured songwriting and delivery, the highly varied instrumentation—it all adds up. Drew Smith and Matt Russell display intangible deft to orchestrate trumpets, trombones, fiddle, pedal steel, Rhodes, banjo, saxes into a sound simultaneously pop-hook catchy (for the here and now) and smart-art NPR-ready (for the critical immortality). (CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE)