Album Notes

Erin Smith Band is a funk-pop (with some groove-hop) trio based out of Toronto. A fireball of funked up energy, this band is cause for folks to don their best pair of dancing pants and boogie like they own the city. Part urban-hippie and part street-wise funksters, the personality to be found in this band is boundless. Erin Smith band draws inspiration from all forms music that bounce, hop, bop, groove & shimmy (for those who are sucker for comparison, think Dave Matthews Band, G. Love & Special Sauce, Kinnie Starr and Stevie Wonder).

This highly acclaimed and super groove-oriented band is fun all around. Strong bluesy-soul female vocals, acoustic guitar with wah, mind-blowing bass skills and beats that make you hop with glee. The subject matter of the Erin Smith Band's tunes ranges from goofy rants about dirty dishes ("Down With Dishes), to stories of loss in the harsh Ontario Northland ("Piano Bar"), to tales of urban longing and displacement("Street Song"). Yet even the serious subjects come across with a feisty spark when the beat kicks in and the 7th and 9th chords start flowing. This is a band that digs bright colours and shiney stuff, and Erin has a tendancy to paint on almost everything she can get her hands on, excluding certain things (e.g. other people's cars).

The unique set up and flexibility of the Erin Smith Band has placed the act in high-demand for live performances. Their acoustic based sound and three-piece line-up allow for folk room performances, huge energy allows them to play large rock rooms and deep funk and groove allow them to fit right in at jamband festivals and spaces. Having somewhat fallen into the jamband scene, Erin Smith Band provides a unique female voice in a genre and scene often dominated by all-male bands and musicians. Watch out fellas! This girl can PLAY.

They have three recordings to their credit; debut album Hey, Nice Pants (1999), sophomore album Get Your Own Sandwich (2000), and newest gem Downtown Smog Crown (2001). Response to the albums has been wonderful and the band continues to stun crowds in both Canada and the United States with their incredibly energetic live show and enormous stage presence. Full time members are Erin Smith on acoustic guitar, violin and vocals, her brother Liam Smith supplying the bone-rattling funky bass sounds, and the wonderfully talented funkster Mike Chadwick on drums; part time members are Ryan Morrison on rhodes keyboard, John McClean on saxophone and Janine Stoll on backing vocals.

Erin Smith Band has showcased at Canadian Music Week, North By Northeast, Come Together Festival, Fred Eaglesmith's Charity Festival, Winterfolk and many other festivals. Shows with other up and coming acts such as Rose Polenzani, Emm Gryner, Sarah Slean, Tegan and Sara and Ember Swift have helped to set the ball rolling. ESB's albums have received generous airplay on both the Canadian and American College radio waves, and are in regular rotation on CBC Radio One. Both their albums and their live performance have garnered rave reviews and an enthusiastic fan base is growing by leaps and bounds with each show. So if you hear of their circus of sound heading your way, check it out - they put on a funkstravaganza that will leave you dancing for days.