The Atlas Mountains
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia | Established. Jan 01, 2009 | SELF
Music
Press
The Atlas Mountains, were up next, returning to the live scene after a bit of a hiatus to put on a masterful performance. Though it was a great set from the whole band, special mention must go to frontman Taylor Smith, who charmed and amused the crowd in equal measure, declaring that each song was “awesome”. He wasn’t lying either. Given they hadn’t performed together in a while, you’d forgive a little rustiness, but there was none. By the end of their first song they’d won over the audience, and no doubt by the end of their set, garnered a host of new fans. - Simon Clark
'The quintet who owned the night took to the stage, set up and finally launched into some tunes off their debut record. Their willingness to write structures and textures to serve the songs so well give the songs a strength that's surprising for a band so new. The crowd needed little encouragement to get close and friendly as they channeled Cold War Kids and early Coldplay. There's something joyful in The Atlas Mountains music - even in the melancholic moments - that's undeniable. So when the group unleashed an all out rock attack, finally letting the melodies run free, the crowd went right with them in a wonderfully cathartic moment. Time Waits For No One, the bands Triple J played track, found some familiar ears as the keyboardist went crowd surfing over the cheering punters whose calls for an encore went unanswered in the only disappointment of the night.' - Faster Louder
“'The quintet who owned the night took to the stage, set up and finally launched into some tunes off their debut record. Their willingness to write structures and textures to serve the songs so well give the songs a strength that's surprising for a band so new. The crowd needed little encouragement to get close and friendly as they channelled Cold War Kids and early Coldplay. There's something joyful in The Atlas Mountains music - even in the melancholic moments - that's undeniable. So when the group unleashed an all out rock attack, finally letting the melodies run free, the crowd went right with them in a wonderfully cathartic moment. Time Waits For No One, the bands Triple J played track, found some familiar ears as the keyboardist went crowd surfing over the cheering punters whose calls for an encore went unanswered in the only disappointment of the night.'" - Jason Kenny
“'First up, The Atlas Mountains. These guys played satisfyingly epic country-tinged ballads that fit in with Band Of Horses or My Morning Jacket, except with a more masculine voice and the occasional disturbing flourish. Idyllic strings over virile guitar were occasionally decentred by a left field gypsy fiddle, meanwhile, singer Taylor Smith sweated up a puddle and crunched his face in concentration. Still, they showed themselves to be a surprisingly ambitious and tight new act.” - Matt Giles
"Doves meets Drones could be an appropriate epithet here. A wild and weary sound and a voice that paces in cramped circles, over and over. Beautiful." - Vijay Khurana
“Jumping a step back into the indi scene, an eclectic bunch of men that is Atlas Mountains took the stage... They tipped on the side of fantastic within the first few seconds of playing. The front gentleman’s vocals stole the spotlight throughout the set. At one point he sang from a good 20cm away from the microphone, yet still filled the speakers with his vocals. The band’s overall sound consisted of indi folk rock tunes with subtle-but-effective guitars, keys and drums, tumbling along behind the imagery of the vocal notes, with playful trickling keys at times. Taking lyrics from Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet, and reading a few lines from a book mid-set, added to the brilliantly-written tunes with so much passion, and it was refreshing to find another little Perth gem. ” - Amy Vinnecomb
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
To make a long story short:
Upon graduation, Nashville songwriter Taylor Smith relocated himself to the most isolated city on earthPerth, Western Australia, where he found a thriving music scene and eventually, through a lot of good luck and a few chance meetings, got his own band together. A year and a half of rehearsals, a few lineup changes, and The Atlas Mountains were solidified. They enlisted the help of local prodigy James Newhouse to record their debut LP, Sanskrit Owl, live, in one day, in an abandoned warehouse in East Perthall in exchange for an engagement ring that guitarist Scott Nash, a jeweler by trade, made for the love-stricken producer.
Five-hundred copies of the album were pressed, and the band received their fair share of local and national airplay in Australia (Triple J).
After a solid 12 months of live shows, The Atlas Mountains returned to the studio to record their second full length album (first true studio album), A Splendid Diagnosis. As often happens when momentum starts, disaster struck, as Smith was unable to renew his Australian visa, and had to return to his native Nashville home. Despite this, the band continued to write and plan, and as soon as Smith returned, in 2012, the lads were back to writing, rehearsing and gigging.
2013 saw the Mountains return to the studio, for their most ambitious album to date, which is to be released in early 2014.
Band Members
Links
