In The Studio With The Smith Street Band

Melburnian punk-rock stalwarts The Smith Street Band are hard at work on their as-yet untitled third studio full-length, but the 2014 Community Cup performers were kind enough to find the time to chat with theMusic.com.au about their progress of late. We catch up with the in-form four-piece as drummer Chris Cowburn finds himself the focus of the microphone.

“We're at Sing Sing Studios working on our yet to be titled, third full-length album!” Cowburn enthused when theMusic.com.au touches base. “More specifically, I'm recording all of my drum parts, but the rest of the band is tracking along with me in the same room, so some of the guitars we get down will be keepers as well.”

While the majority of the record's creative/writing process took place in a makeshift home studio in Victoria's Otways, Sing Sing is “the first, and technically the only, studio” the band is using to actually put the songs to record. They're in good hands, too, with Jeff Rosenstock, of Bomb the Music Industry, serving as producer, and two engineers at their disposal – Sing Sing's Matt Voigt, who assisted the band with recording their recent EP Don't Fuck With Our Dreams, and long-time friend Sam Johnson, who also helped The Smith Street Band put together their aforementioned Otways retreat.

“We met Jeff a few years ago, have toured Australia together twice and done plenty of hanging out in his hometown of New York,” Cowburn said of meeting Rosenstock. “We've all become really close friends over that time and have huge love for his song writing and his positive vibes. Asking him to come to Australia and produce the album was a no-brainer – and it's a pleasure to have our mate here making music with us!”

As far as Voigt is concerned, “Matt has a crazy amount of experience and is a really lovely and calming guy to have recording your music”, Cowburn said. And Johnson “has been a close friend since the early days of the band and recorded our last full length, Sunshine & Technology”, he says.

“We couldn't be happier with all three of the guys we have helping us make this album! We've only just begun, but it's already been a great experience!”

Although this studio stint marks the band's third time at bat, they're maintaining course on the way they've always done things, consciously or otherwise subscribing to the old “if it ain't broken…” mantra that has served so many so well.

“I suppose the main point of difference between this recording and the last couple is that aside from the drums, the large majority will be tracked in the Otways house we're renting,” Cowburn explained. “Being outside of a studio will hopefully give us a bit more time and make things more relaxed and organic. It's quite secluded, so if someone's drunk at 3am, they can record a guitar idea, for example.

“This is also the first time we'll all be living together to work on an album… so we're all gonna be very close to it. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing at the moment, but we all spend a ridiculous amount of time together anyway so I'm sure we'll be fine!”

No release date is yet slated for the forthcoming record, though Cowburn said the band are “hoping to put up the first song for people to hear in late August or early September”, with the album to follow not long after that.

Until then, soothe yourself with some sweet sounds of the Smith Street Band - their discography is readily available at their Bandcamp page - while you peruse the gallery below, courtesy of photographer Andrew Johnson.