EXCLUSIVE: Wil Wagner Says The Smith Street Band To Have New Music 'By The End Of The Year'

The Smith Street Band fans rejoice, you won't be waiting all that much longer for new material.

Speaking exclusively with The Music in an interview last week, The Smith Street Band's frontman Wil Wagner has said that the band are aiming to have at least a single out by the end of 2018, with an album to follow early next year.

"We've just got a property about an hour out of Melbourne, in the bush, in the forest, and we're building a recording studio out here and I'm living out here," Wagner said in the interview.

"The aim is to build a recording studio that us and all of our friends' bands can use, then you can come and stay here and write, and get a retreat basically going for people.

"That's sort of our main priority over the next little while is we're going to build a studio here and then Smith Street will record here in the middle of the year and then that'll be, I guess, that'll be done around the start of winter, and then we'll start looking for more bands to come out here and work here.

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When asked if the mid-year recording would mean an album out by the start of 2019, Wagner agreed.

"That's the aim, but that's a year away and there's always going to be things that pop up, so that's kind of our general plan at the moment but we've got a big bunch of touring sort of from September onwards, we're doing some stuff in the UK and then doing a big Europe run supporting someone, and there's sort of a bunch of stuff coming up," he said.

"So yeah, I don't want to say definitely, just in case things get in the way but the plan at the moment is to try and have new music out, like a new song or something out, by the end of the year and a new album out the start of next year. Yeah, hopefully! But who knows, we could fuck the studio up and go broke and who knows..." he finished jokingly. 

The Smith Street Band are kicking off a massive Aussie tour today, starting with their own Pool House Party festival at Melbourne's Coburg Velodrome.

This will be the band's first Australian show since the departure of co-founding member and drummer Chris Cowburn. There is yet to be an official statement on Cowburn's exit, following speculation about his status with the band back in January when a new band press shot was released without him.

A statement on Cowburn's departure is expected from The Smith Street Band soon.

Head to theGuide for more info on the band's upcoming tour dates.