We Speak Indie Artist
Top indie artists come together to raise money for St Mungo’s homeless charity
The ‘Write to Be’ EP was inspired by the moment when London based Japanese artist, Mieko Shimizu stumbled upon a tiny house in a doorway on the deserted streets of Soho during lockdown. On its cardboard walls were written various tales; friends who died in the Hillsborough disaster, soldiers returning from war in Afghanistan, the love of a mother lost to cancer, life on London streets. The house was neatly furnished with a table, cupboard, drawers, some clothes on coat hangers and a bed.
Mieko recorded an interview with its maker, John Daniels, and created the track ‘John’s House’ incorporating the interview. She was moved by creativities power and asked three other artists from England, Germany and Poland to write songs about its ability to lift the spirit even in desperate circumstances and created ‘Write To Be’.
The EP features the Mieko Shimizu produced ‘Where Do you Go’ by William D Drake, formally of The Cardiacs, ‘Without’ from Monica label artist in Berlin; Barbara Morgenstern, ‘Inner’ by Accidental Records artist Ola Szmidt and ‘John’s House’ by Mieko Shimizu. The ‘Write To Be’ EP will be released on Street Furniture Records on Jan 26th 2023.
All the profits of the EPs sales will be donated to St Mungo’s Homeless Charity in London- Homeless Charity – St Mungo’s (mungos.org)
Plain Mister Smith returns with Bric-À-Brac Attack, a beautifully offbeat collection of indie-folk, pop and atmospheric songwriting. Released via Amelia Records, the album finds the Vancouver and London-based multi-hyphenate turning fragments of memory, relationships and everyday absurdity into something quietly cinematic.
At its centre is “Grindavik”, a shimmering, reflective track inspired by the Icelandic town shaped by recent volcanic activity. Bright acoustic guitars and steady drums carry a constantly shifting chord progression, mirroring the song’s central metaphor of a relationship under pressure and the hope that its fissures can eventually heal. Featuring Jordan Klassen and Kitt, the track captures the emotional tension that runs throughout the album.
Elsewhere, Bric-À-Brac Attack moves effortlessly between playful guitar-driven moments, lush arrangements and more introspective passages. “Miss Sunshine” brings infectious energy, while collaborations with Findlay Brown, Leeroy Stagger, Krystle Dos Santos and Tyson Mostenbocher add colour to an already eclectic record.
Former guitarist of Canadian darkwave band Moev and a cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Plain Mister Smith brings an unusually broad musical perspective to his songwriting. Yet Bric-a-Brac attack never feels overly calculated. Instead, it has the charm of something discovered rather than constructed.
Warm, strange, melodic and emotionally searching, Bric-À-Brac Attack is a record that rewards getting lost in its details. Plain Mister Smith may remain deliberately mysterious, but the music itself speaks with remarkable clarity.
Photo credit: Sandra Lockwood
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