Let Him Entertain You: Roland K Smith
Artist biographies are always filled with all manner of hyperbole. They espouse fantastic claims and typical PR bunk that would make even the most seasoned huckster blush. Reading Sydney troubadour Roland K Smith’s bio one is confronted with phrases like “…the country album the Pixies never recorded,” or even “…Australia’s answer to Ryan Adams.” Lofty claims indeed. Thing is though, in this case, it may not be that much of a stretch.
Anyone familiar with Roland’s previous outing, Walrus, maybe a little surprised that he has ditched the ‘rock’ and gone for something much more intimate.
“It is alt country or folk, depending on where you live and what dialect you’re speaking,” Roland explains. “My EP is pretty lo-fi and I like it that way. Rough warm tones are friendlier than cold clean ones.”
For Smith, his latest project came out of a desire to experiment, to experience something new; very much in the wanderlust tradition of beat laureate Jack Kerouac or others he counts as influences – Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Waits, or Bob Dylan.
“Exploring and experiencing something new, musical or otherwise, keeps things fresh and exciting…broadens the mind one might say”.
The result is a collection of songs that could quite easily draw comparisons to his American counterpart Adams, but Smith comes from that tragic storyteller school of alt country that recalls acts like Richmond Fontaine or even the Grievous Angel himself, Gram Parsons. Yet there is still an unmistakeable ‘Australianness’ to his sound that is hard to ignore.
After generating some favourable reviews from various wags and taking his show on the road with his backing band The Sinners, Roland said he was pleasantly surprised at how the material had been received.
“The response to the EP has been really positive which is great because I started writing and recording it as a side project,” he said.
“The idea was to challenge myself and do something different on my own. My intention wasn’t to form a band and go on tour with these songs, but here we are.”
It is the band, according to Smith, that has given his songs an extra kick in the pants on stage and solidified his sound.
“The Sinners are a killer band,” Smith enthused.
“These boys have all got about 15 years experience playing over me. Mark (drums), Jeff (guitar, dobro, banjo) and Matt (bass) are responsible for making my songs come alive on stage.
In talking to Roland, it becomes obvious he is in love with music, having little trouble with the often perplexing ‘desert island discs question’.
“That’s easy,” he said.
“Bruce Springsteens’ Born to Run (the most perfect record ever made); The Beatles’ Abbey Road (a master class in songwriting); Bob Dylans’ Blonde on Blonde (thick and thin at the same time); The Pogues’ If I Should Fall from Grace With God (drinkin’ music); and Tom Waits’ Orphans (otherworldy music from an otherworldy man).
Smith is also refreshingly succinct when it comes to what he wants people to get out of his music.
“I’m an entertainer,’ he said. “ I just want people to have a good time.”
