Album Notes

About the Album "Suicidally Beautiful":

A dark lyrical journey through a man's psyche as he struggles through the end of a relationship and the end of life. Think Radiohead songwriting with the heart of U2 and the soul of The Cure. A band with a thirst for beautiful vocal harmonies and beautiful distorted guitars... Suicidally Beautiful, that is.

About The Smythe:

The Smythe began as the reincarnation of a successful university band from Illinois. With the addition of a new member, this foursome has collectively sold over 1000 albums and played over 250 shows. After only 6 months together, they won a battle of the bands in Champaign, IL, awarding them the opportunity to open for the St. Louis based national act, The Urge.

The Smythe now perform regularly in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. They play and headline mid-sized venues such as Lakeview Links and The Cubby Bear, and were placed in the choice position as the final performing band in the largest student run philanthropy in the country, Northwestern University's Dance Marathon. This event benefits pediatric cancer research and raises over half a million dollars annually.

A recent recording session produced the Smythe's first full- length album, Suicidally Beautiful. The album is a collage of genres, with styles ranging from punk to alt-country to quirky epic pop. However, the resulting sound is uniquely Smythe: guitar driven anthems for a new generation.

The music comes from the hearts and souls of the members: Kit Mackie-drums, Tony Maietta-guitars, bass & vocals, Alec Payleitner - vocals, bass & piano, and Mike Roenna - guitars & vocals. All four are dedicated students of 40 years of rock and pop, giving rise to a sound left of center, but strangely familiar. The Smythe are not followers, but rather leaders looking for more visionaries. Destined to create, destined to invent, or destined to bust, a train wreck or a world turned upside down.