Smith Westerns were an American indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois, United States, composed of brothers Cullen and Cameron Omori, Max Kakacek, Julien Ehrlich and Hal James.[1] Their musical influences included David Bowie, T. Rex[2] and Oasis.[3]
Smith Westerns | |
|---|---|
 Smith Westerns performing at Belly Up Aspen in 2011. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2007–2014 |
| Labels |
|
| Past members | Cullen Omori Cameron Omori Max Kakacek Julien Ehrlich Hal James |
| Website | www |
History
editSmith Westerns (2009)
editTheir self-titled debut album was released on HoZac Records on June 5, 2009.[4] Most of the album was recorded throughout the winter and early spring in Max Kakacek's basement.[1]
Dye It Blonde (2011)
editThey released a new single, "Weekend", on November 4, 2010, from their album Dye It Blonde, which was released on January 18, 2011.[5]
Soft Will (2013)
editThe band signed to Mom + Pop Music on March 5, 2013,[6] and released Soft Will on June 25, 2013, following up from their 2011 LP, Dye It Blonde. The first single off the album, "Varsity," was released March 6, 2013.[7] The album has received mostly positive reviews upon release.[citation needed]
Later work and breakup
editOn December 13, 2014, the band announced that they would go on an indefinite hiatus.[8] They later confirmed that they were permanently breaking up.[9]
Since the breakup, Cullen Omori began a solo career, signing to Sub Pop Records,[10] while Max Kakacek, Julien Ehrlich, and touring keyboardist Ziyad Asrar formed the band Whitney.[11]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [12] |
US Indie [13] |
US Alt [14] |
US Rock [15] |
US Heat [16] | |||||
| Smith Westerns |
|
— | — | — | — | — | |||
| Dye It Blonde |
|
114 | 18 | 20 | 29 | 1 | |||
| Soft Will |
|
194 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Weekend" | Dye It Blonde |
| 2013 | "Varsity" | Soft Will |
References
edit- ^ a b Mehr, Bob (18 June 2009). "Big Kids | Music Column". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Rising: Smith Westerns". Pitchfork Media. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Talk Their New Brit Pop Influenced LP". Pitchfork Media. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
- ^ "Smith Westerns LP Out Now on HoZac - MySpace-blog | van The Smith Westerns". Blogs.myspace.com. 2009-10-16. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08. Retrieved 2009-10-20.
- ^ "Pitchfork: The Playlist: Smith Westerns - "Weekend"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2010-11-08.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Sign to Mom+Pop, Announce New Album, Share First Single | Mom + Pop Music | Independent Record Label". Archived from the original on 2013-05-30. Retrieved 2013-07-03.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (6 March 2013). "Smith Westerns Announce New Album Soft Will, Share New Track "Varsity"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ Beauchemin, Molly (13 December 2014). "Smith Westerns Announce Indefinite Hiatus". Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Confirm Breakup - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. 19 December 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Smith Westerns' Cullen Omori Details Debut Solo Album New Misery, Shares "Cinnamon" Video - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Members of Smith Westerns, Touching Voids form Whitney, share 'No Matter Where You Go'". Diy.mag. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Smith Westerns Album & Song Chart History - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved January 28, 2011.