{"title":"Linda Smith","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"i-so-liked-spring","title":"I So Liked Spring","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pioneer of the home recording movement, Linda Smith released several collections of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette in the 1980s and 90s. The 2021 release of \u003ci\u003eTill Another Time: 1988-1996\u003c\/i\u003e, Captured Tracks’ compilation of Smith’s work, has helped bestow rightful critical acclaim to the ahead-of-her-time artist. Now, Captured Tracks dives deeper into Smith’s catalogue with the release of two full-length companion albums, \u003ci\u003eNothing Else Matters\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e I So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e, available for the first time on vinyl. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecorded at Smith’s home in Baltimore in 1995, \u003ci\u003eNothing Else Matters\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the tension between the mundanity of daily life and the creative impulse: traffic noises on the charmingly boisterous “Little To Be Won” showcase this levity, as does the addition of playful hand claps and a laugh track to her striking cover of Young Marble Giants’ “Salad Days.” \u003ci\u003eI So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e, recorded the following year, saw Smith experimenting with the unique challenge of putting another artist’s words to music. She’d come across a biography of the English poet Charlotte Mew and found her wistful poetry rife for musical interpretation. The songs on \u003ci\u003eI So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e are delightfully unpredictable, full of upbeat melodies and spellbinding vocal harmonies. This is perhaps best showcased on the title track, one of Smith’s most popular songs to date, a lovelorn anthem that recalls the airy melodies of early dream pop. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoth of these albums showcase the mesmerising charm of Smith’s songwriting, often compared to the likes of the Velvet Underground and Laurie Anderson. Home recording technology has come a long way since Smith first began recording demos on her tape machine, but her influence reverberates through the work of today’s bedroom artists. The release of these two essential albums seeks to further illuminate this connection, welcoming a new generation of listeners to the work of this trailblazing artist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Captured Tracks","offers":[{"title":"White LP","offer_id":50384055009611,"sku":"2173972","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CT-371_Linda_Smith_Cover_3000x3000_7154079a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726284813"},{"product_id":"nothing-else-matters-4","title":"Nothing Else Matters","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pioneer of the home recording movement, Linda Smith released several collections of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette in the 1980s and 90s. The 2021 release of \u003ci\u003eTill Another Time: 1988-1996\u003c\/i\u003e, Captured Tracks’ compilation of Smith’s work, has helped bestow rightful critical acclaim to the ahead-of-her-time artist. Now, Captured Tracks dives deeper into Smith’s catalogue with the release of two full-length companion albums, \u003ci\u003eNothing Else Matters\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eI So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e, available for the first time on vinyl. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecorded at Smith’s home in Baltimore in 1995, \u003ci\u003eNothing Else Matters\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles the tension between the mundanity of daily life and the creative impulse: traffic noises on the charmingly boisterous “Little To Be Won” showcase this levity, as does the addition of playful hand claps and a laugh track to her striking cover of Young Marble Giants’ “Salad Days.” \u003ci\u003eI So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e, recorded the following year, saw Smith experimenting with the unique challenge of putting another artist’s words to music. She’d come across a biography of the English poet Charlotte Mew and found her wistful poetry rife for musical interpretation. The songs on \u003ci\u003eI So Liked Spring\u003c\/i\u003e are delightfully unpredictable, full of upbeat melodies and spellbinding vocal harmonies. This is perhaps best showcased on the title track, one of Smith’s most popular songs to date, a lovelorn anthem that recalls the airy melodies of early dream pop. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoth of these albums showcase the mesmerizing charm of Smith’s songwriting, often compared to the likes of the Velvet Underground and Laurie Anderson. Home recording technology has come a long way since Smith first began recording demos on her tape machine, but her influence reverberates through the work of today’s bedroom artists. The release of these two essential albums seeks to further illuminate this connection, welcoming a new generation of listeners to the work of this trailblazing artist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Captured Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Green LP","offer_id":50384055402827,"sku":"2173971","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/default_2e858e1c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726284831"},{"product_id":"till-another-time-1988-1996","title":"Till Another Time: 1988-1996","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen Linda Smith purchased a 4 track cassette recorder in the mid-1980s, it was not with the intention of launching a solo career. At the time, she was playing guitar in a band called the Woods, and thought it would be useful for sharing demos with her bandmates. In the end, the 4 track outlasted the Woods, but Smith had already started toying around with her own songs. The new hobby followed her from New York back to her native Baltimore, and over the next decade she'd release several albums worth of delicate, bewitching solo music on cassette. \u003ci\u003eTill Another Time: 1988-1996\u003c\/i\u003e is the first retrospective collection of Smith's charmingly lo-fi music, situating her as a pioneer of the home recording boom that persists today.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSparse and gentle, Linda's music is tinged with lovelorn melancholy despite the sweetness of her voice. Over '60s pop-indebted melodies on tracks like \"A Crumb Of Your Affection\", she delivers observations like \"I'd been so hungry for so long, I'd forgotten how to eat\" with an earnest softness. Elsewhere, her voice takes on a post punk deadpan, as on \"I See Your Face\" when she glumly repeats \"someone speaks and I hear your name.\" The effect of both modes is a haunting charm, equally reminiscent of early Cherry Red Records and '60s ye-ye. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis sense of timelessness was bolstered by Smith's no-nonsense approach to recording. She recorded almost all of her songs at home, using 4 and later 8 track tape recorders. There was a creative freedom that came with recording on tape - it eliminated the need for a band or studio to bring her ideas to life. Unbeknownst to Smith, this was a conclusion that many musicians were reaching at the time - the seeds of the home recording movement were being sowed across the country, and she was at the forefront. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnfortunately, the independence that made at-home recording appealing to artists like Smith also made it difficult for them to reach a wider audience. Most of their communities were insular, relying on niche publications, cassette trading, and word of mouth to share music. Smith herself released a few 7\"s on labels like Slumberland and Harriet, but remained relatively local in terms of reach. Nevertheless, one can trace a direct line from Smith, recording her first album in her Brooklyn apartment all those years ago, to the ubiquity of bedroom recording today. \u003ci\u003eTill Another Time\u003c\/i\u003e is an effort to do just that, shedding light on her fascinating catalog while acknowledging its role in shaping today's musical landscape. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Captured Tracks","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50441643983179,"sku":"1113631","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50441643393355,"sku":"1113630","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9ea29543-534f-4f59-9d90-70dfa0a75658_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1726984175"},{"product_id":"a-passing-clid","title":"A Passing Clid","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1983, Nancy Andrews and Linda Smith shared a big house in Baltimore with a continuously revolving cast of artists and musicians. It was there the like-minded artists formed their first band, Ceramic Madonna Head (with Plastic Arms), a short-lived project which included housemates Elizabeth Downing and Peggy Bitzer. By the time the lease was up, Linda and Peggy had decided to move to New York where they would form a new band called The Woods while Nancy and Elizabeth remained in Baltimore and formed a performance art band called Lambs Eat Ivy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile playing guitar in The Woods in the mid-80’s Linda purchased her first 4-track cassette recorder and embarked on a pioneering decade of solo, DIY home recording with a series of cassettes and 7” records of smart and moody singer-songwriter bedroom pop music. This trailblazing period was recently documented on the Captured Tracks retrospective compilation\u003ci\u003e Till Another Time: 1988-1996\u003c\/i\u003e. Her band, The Woods, made a record which was shelved for decades but will finally see release in 2023. During this same period Nancy pursued art, animation and filmmaking with occasional forays into music including another short-lived collaboration with Linda called The Gertrudes as well as a 7” under the alias Pinky on Harriet records in 1992. The friends stayed in touch but hadn’t worked on a project together in nearly thirty years.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 2020, Linda rediscovered in the back of a drawer some old tapes of Nancy’s songs she had recorded for her in the 90’s. In the process of digitizing the old recordings she was inspired to reach out and float the idea of a new collaborative recording project with her old friend. \u003ci\u003eA Passing Cloud\u003c\/i\u003e is the fruit of their rekindled long-distance musical conversation. They began the songwriting process by flipping through Nancy’s pulp fiction collection and pulling provocative phrases from the lurid titles and hard-boiled storylines. Then, they set out to create new stories from personal, feminist perspectives. All the songs were composed incrementally by passing tracks back and forth between Maine and Maryland during the late pandemic. A Passing Cloud’s lovely and beguiling pop music may be borne out of isolation but it draws us in with a carefully rendered intimacy made possible by decades of artistic collaboration. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grapefruit","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50460674654539,"sku":"2015009","price":34.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/a1210639866_16_6aa08558_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727236444"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/linda-smith.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}