Ions & Smith

BIOGRAPHY
IONS & SMITH – ‘PRIVATE EYE’
Perth based musicians Tommy Ions and Saxon Smith first crossed paths in 2008. Both have toured Australia and South East Asia, and have several recordings to their name with various acts. 2011 sees the formation of their duo, ‘Ions & Smith’, and the release of their debut album, ‘Private Eye’.
Sharing like- minded influences from Dire Straits to Henry Rollins, the duo began writing together in early 2010. The process was open and organic with only an aim to write a collection of eclectic songs.
Work on the self-produced ‘Private Eye’ wrapped up in December 2010, and the duo’s mutual appreciation for diverse musical and vocal styles readily applied, even sometimes combining them in contrasting ways. The name of the album relates to the inquisitive lyrical content as well as the overall vibe that ties all the songs together, a ‘detective feel’ that is evident throughout.
The album opens with the track ‘Case 101’; mixing elements of progressive rock, catchy chorus lines and intense spoken word/hip hop vocals during the verses. Latin and big band vibes are captured in tracks, ‘Life’s callin’ and ‘Movin on’, with Ions & Smith recruiting a graduate from The Western Australian Performing Arts Academy to play the horn parts on ‘Movin on’. ‘What happens now’, ‘Means to an end’ and ’It’s over’ all combine rock, blues, and subtle hints of jazz to convey their respective moods and stories, while extensive vocal harmonies throughout the track ‘D.C’ are comparable to songs off Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark side of the moon’.
Although diverse and dynamic, ‘Private Eye’ remains cohesive throughout. An album that stays fresh from start to finish.