Today, indie favourites Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird release their latest album ‘Smiles Of Earth’; their most stylistically cohesive, organic and collaborative statement to date.
The record exudes warmth and showcases an increased use of horns across ten gorgeous songs; ranging from observational, whimsical and quirky to deeply moving ruminations on love lost (and found). It includes the singles, ‘When This Is Over’, ‘Bluestone’, ‘Red Dirt Angel’ and new single ‘Every Morning, It Breaks’.
‘Smiles Of Earth’ was produced by Stephen Charles and Lachlan Rose with additional engineering by Harry Leithhead and Guy Faletolu. Award-winning engineer Matthew Neighbour (Matt Corby, The Avalanches, Middle Kids) took the final reins for the mix and it was mastered by George Georgiadis.
Formed in 2015 by singer songwriter Lachlan Rose, Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird started with a few friends meeting at a weekly community pop up performance space. It wasn’t long before Rose was writing, recording and performing his own songs for a debut EP - the “Queen Of Hearts” EP, under the moniker Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird - a name taken from dialogue in the closing scene of American Beauty.
Speaking about the new release, frontperson Lachlan Rose explained, “Like most albums, Smiles of Earth has been a labour of deep love. Thwarted by lockdowns and the creative process itself, we attempted to make this record in numerous ways. Thanks to the patience and dedication of the band members, as well as the nurturing talents of producer Stephen Charles, the album was finally realised at The Aviary in Abbotsford, Melbourne. The inner themes of peacefulness and positive perspective truly levitated the performers throughout the recording process and they embodied its spirit wholeheartedly. I think that spirit is now undeniable in the sound of the album. In a word, this album was written to make you smile”.
“As the name leans towards, ‘Smiles of Earth’ comes from a place of inherent peacefulness. Inspired by Albert Camus’ ‘The Myth of Sisyphus’, the phrase captures the natural beauty of the world we live in, which is ever-present but not necessarily always appreciated. While the songs certainly explore the struggles involved in obtaining these positive perspectives, the overall feeling I wanted to leave people with was the choice. The choice between meaninglessness and beauty”.
Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird continue to rack up a massive fan base that has already given them 80,000 average monthly listeners on Spotify and significant playlist support; with multiple songs being added to Double J, ABC Radio, Unearthed and community stations across the country.
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