Quite simply, this is a gorgeous song. Written by Dylan Hicks (piano, vocals, acoustic guitar) and featuring the smooth, characterful vocals of John Munson, the song engages the listener with excellent lyrics and a beautiful melody. The video is an intriguing animation, created by artist and illustrator Jennifer Davis and director and multimedia producer Joshua Sundby. Each scene is an original painting, populated by hand-drawn characters based on paintings by Davis. Their artistic collaboration makes for an imaginative accompaniment to the song.
Hicks says of the video: “John and I have long admired Jennifer Davis’s distinctive palette and her soulful blend of realism and fantasy, and we’re thrilled with the world she and Joshua have imagined for ‘Only Smoke.’ I originally wrote the song as a sort of dialogue between four characters, and to my ears John’s vocal interpretation preserves that conversation while creating a compelling composite character. Jennifer and Joshua have further transformed and enriched the song and its narrator(s). We’re honoured to have prodded their beautiful collaboration.”
‘Only Smoke’ is an excellent introduction to the band, which is augmented on this song by Kelly Hogan (vocals), Nora O’Connor (vocals); Zacc Harris (guitar), Jeremy Ylvisaker (guitar) and Richard Medek (drums). Enjoy this charming video and then look out for the debut album, due out on 4th September.
