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DISCOVER BANDS :: STREAM + VIDEOS :: Austin’s Shane Smith & The Saints

by Adam Keen…
 
Press Release: Texas troubadours Shane Smith & The Saints are currently promoting their elegantly gritty sophomore full-length album, ‘Geronimo.’ Drawing from a dynamic mix of styles and influences (Credence Clearwater, Band Of Horses, The Allman Brothers Band, Mumford & Sons, Dropkick Murphys), ‘Geronimo’ is a stylistic departure from the band’s previous work. Combining elements of rock, Cajun folk, Celtic/Irish music and Americana, the result is a superbly crafted album from a cohesive group of musicians that includes Smith (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Harmonica), Chase Satterwhite (Bass, Upright Bass & Harmony Vocals), Zach Stover (Drums & Percussion), Tim Allen (Electric Guitar, Mandolin, Donro & Harmony Vocals) and Bennett Brown (Fiddle & Harmony Vocals)
 
In the midst of a heavy tour schedule, ‘Geronimo’ was self-produced and recorded in Austin, Dallas and Nashville. It features fifteen thought-provoking tracks brimming with incisive narratives. With his smoky rich voice and emotionally keyed delivery, Smith’s vocals blend effortlessly with the band’s signature four-part harmonies.
 
“This record is extremely important to us. It was never recorded to produce big radio singles. It wasn’t recorded with the intent of fitting a working mold or sound,” explains Smith. “ ‘Geronimo was made to set us apart from all other bands and brand a sound that is completely unique to ourselves. And I think that’s exactly what it will do.”
 
Album opener “The Mountain” showcases the band’s impeccable musicianship and storytelling prowess. It begins as an acapella Appalachian hymn, but transforms into a fiddle-heavy, in-your-face folk song about the burning underground coal mine in Centralia, PA. Meanwhile, the first single “All I See Is You” is driven by high-energy roots instrumentation and tells the tale of a young man’s love for his wife with the underlying message that the beautiful places traveled and moments lived amount to nothing without his partner. Click here to listen.
 

 
“Oil Town” is a twang-filled waltz about the extreme dynamics faced by towns moving in and out of “oil booms” throughout Texas. “New Orleans” is a take on a freed-slave’s ambition to become a performing musician leading him on a swampy path to the Crescent City – an ambitious love song for the landscape that quickly turns into a Cajun front porch jam. There’s a beautiful simplicity to “Born & Raised” which includes vocal help from Haley Cole.
 
Rounding out the collection is the title track, which holds dual meaning for the band. “On one end, it is an attempt to pay tribute to the life of Geronimo, the Apache warrior,” says Smith. “I’ve always been fascinated by Geronimo and the principles he stood for. This also presented the perfect opportunity to relate the term “Geronimo” with our intensions of this album and the “jumping from a cliff” idea that it symbolizes. If we are going to attempt a career in music, this album is our commitment to give it everything we’ve got, despite all of the odds working against us. “
 

 
Known for their stellar live performances, Shane Smith & The Saints will tour extensively throughout the US and beyond this year including stops in Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Denver and Malaysia. Impressively, the band made their major festival debut last year in their hometown at Austin City Limits Festival and continued on the circuit playing to major crowds at Texas Mardi Gras Fest, Rio Frio Fest, Larry Joe Taylor’s Texas Music Fest and Lone Star Jam. The band has shared the stage with a plethora of artists including Ryan Bingham, Eli Young Band, ZZ Top, Turnpike Troubadours, Shakey Graves, Lynrd Skynrd and more.
 
Stream music at the bands Soundcloud or somewhere in the links below…
 
http://www.shanesmithmusic.com/
 
https://www.facebook.com/shanesmithmusic
 
https://twitter.com/shanesmithmusic
 
https://instagram.com/shanesmithmusic/