Totally Biased Fan Review – Alexis and Suzie – Where There’s Smoke (EEP)

When I go to Tamworth, I enjoy catching up with my faves, especially those that I don’t get to see all the time. However, I also love hearing new music….sometimes it is just new to me and sometimes it is genuinely something that most people are hearing for the first time. I love surprises, and these guys were a wonderful surprise.

I first heard Alexis and Suzie at Melissa Robertson’s Showcase, and then at one of the other showcases, 2RRR. These two have great harmonies and their songs are right up my alley, they even have a train song!

Alexis and Suzie may not know what an EEP is. An EEP is bigger than an EP (4 songs) and smaller than and album (10 or more songs).

All songs are written by Suzie Keenan and Alexis Kent Sawford. They are also all recorded and produced by them. The songs are a mixture of folk, blues and country. Sleeping in my Bed is borderline reggae.

Lonelier with you was one of my favourite ‘new’ songs of the festival. When you hear the story behind the song, you will be horrified or at least, sad, but it made for a good story and thus a good song. It reminded of a line that Ringo Starr wrote on his Rotogravure album cover – “To all of those who encouraged me and discouraged me, in one way or the other you helped me produce this album”.  I won’t tell you the story, I will let Suzie tell it, but it is a doozy.

These guys would fit in well with the Melbourne scene. I hope that they get a gig or two down here in the future. While it is exciting to see so many very young artists at Tamworth (thanks in a large way to the Academy), it is just as exciting seeing some older (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense, they are still younger than me) artists showing that they are in for the ride too.

Melissa Robertson often showcases an act that I haven’t discovered before. She has done the same for me in the past with Brendan Nawrocki and some bloke that I had heard a little bit about, called Lloyd Clarke.  The rest is history.

With a little exposure and in the right hands, these two will be on the same ride. This EEP is well worth the listen. All of the tracks are different and some are just absolute standouts.

A lot of people walked away impressed with these two. Give them a spin. You won’t be disappointed.

 

Tracks:

Train Song

Where There’s Smoke

Anchor

Another Night Like This

Sleeping in my bed

Lonelier With You

Coal Eyed Girl

Signed Away My Soul