Damon Smith & The Quality Lightweights
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | INDIE
Music
Press
Local songwriter Damon Smith has been playing around for years. Whether it be sitting in with other local acts on guitar or keys, or playing his own music, he has recently settled his influences and has all but completed his debut album.
This Thing In My Chest is the first single from it, and if it is anything to go by then all the years of hard work has certainly paid off.
Performed and produced by Damon alone, This Thing In My Chest is a broken love song that combines clever lyrics with a rambling rhythm to great effect. Instantly familiar yet somehow unique, it is perhaps the understated nature of the song that ensures its overall charm. The gentle guitar solo melts into that last verse before it all wraps up on something of an upbeat note. Nice.
Lines Are Made For Standing In is somewhat more downbeat, but labelling it a B side would dismiss what is a stirring song about the loss of loved ones. The lyric ‘Lines are made for standing in, graves are made for crying on, so I cry on yours to understand you’re gone’ is weary with the burden of hurt yet a clever way to put it across. Again the guitar solo lifts the song up, before a somewhat abrupt ending serves to drive the point home.
Both songs come from an honest place, both lyrically and musically. Damon proves here he is a gifted songwriter, and we can only look forward to the album with great anticipation.
Tim Burke.
Inpress Mag, Australia. - DAMON SMITH/SECRET HAM RECORDS
"Damon Smith sings and writes like the love child of Paul Kelly and Marianne Faithfull, through a deliriously intoxicating filter of gorgeous songwriting, refreshingly delivered vocals and a man crush inducing stage presence."
Tony McMahon. - Tony McMahon. Music Journelist.
Discography
-Willow EP 2003 (Damon Smith)
-I Ride My Motorbike in My Yellow Underpants EP (Damon Smith) 2003
-Rhode/Organ and Piano on Squire’s self titled EP 2004
-Damon Smith LP 1 Unreleased 2004
-Stardiner EP ‘One Went Crazy’ 2004 (Damon Smith)
-DVD Soundtrack ‘Barefoot That’s Me’ 2006 (Damon Smith)
-Damon Smith LP 2 Unreleased 2006
-Marc Nomad’s ‘I Got A Penis’ EP Unreleased 2006 (Damon Smith)
-Damon Smith ‘Piano Blues for Mum’ Unreleased 2006 (Damon Smith)
-Organ/Wurlitzer and Rhodes on 84 EP ‘You, Me and Infamy’ 2006
-Piano on Chris Freidland’s Debut EP. 2006
-Stardiner EP ‘Get It On’ 2006 (Damon Smith)
-1 Track Used. Compilation album: Payola 2, Smashed Records.2006(Damon Smith)
-3 tracks used on Foxtels ‘Backpackers’ series 2006 (Damon Smith)
-Stardiner debut LP ‘2007’ (Damon Smith)
-DVD live performance and Title track: ‘Notes From The Underground’ 2007 (Damon Smith)
-Marc Nomad’s ‘I can’t believe it’s got a Beak’ EP (Pending) (Damon Smith)
-1 Track Used. Compilation album: Zero. 2008 (Damon Smith)
-Damon Smith’s Debut Record ‘Desire, like a blind man reading a picture book’ 2008 Pending.
Photos
Bio
Hi I’m Damon, I’m a songwriter whom has taken a bit of time to work out where I sit among my peers and where my interest lies in this crowded hall of influences.
Anyway, I came to Melbourne from Perth to write a score for a film…The creators gave it the ‘arse’ tho so I waited privates in hand for my ‘band’ to arrive so we could start the ‘thing’ again in a new city.
A few songs on the radio and associated cool things soon decomposed into inspiration for other styles, ideas that I had worked on for years. I’ve had some awesome experiences in this industry, met people, some fantastic and some that are not.
Many years fronting my ‘rock and roll’ band has warmed my voice…it sounds like a chainsaw when I yell etc. I’ve played on heaps of albums as a guest and loved the experience…thanks. I played the Piano, organs, guitar, drums, bass (not upright tho) sung and recorded all the fiddly weird noises on the new album. I can now kick protools arse…well!
My big roomy piano sounds and guitars are as real as the creaks and thumps of feet on the floorboards. I record alone with the occasional double bass player, or attractive lady to apply harmony.
I play gigs all the time at all the cool venues, I played the Espy last week and talked too much. My stage banter is incredibly bad, I have no ability at all when it comes to talking to a crowd. People always come up and demand explanations of lyrics…‘they’ say ‘I love your passion’ and I say “thank you… it’s great now that people are hearing me and enjoying it…would you like a drink or some chips or something?”
I write all the time and record almost instantly mixing the recording, writing thing. I worry about what people think too much…I’m getting better at not caring so much and as I get mentally healthier so does my life and all the ingredients. I’m also crazy about Frank Zappa and have my own little side project thing writing that sort of stuff.
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