Los Angeles singer / songwriter / world traveller Xander Smith just released his second solo record, Outside (out now via Music Fix/ MGM). For this record the Run Run Run frontman has enlisted the help of some seriously impressive names, including Joy Division and New Order original members Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, and Phil Cunningham.
Having released his debut solo effort Hey San Pedro in 2012, Smith began to tour as a solo artist, and thanks to his incredible fan support he’s been able to play shows almost worldwide, from UK to Siberia, Smith makes up his bands with musicians in each new town just like Chuck Berry has done for decades. To celebrate this true troubadour’s release he’s kindly given us a track by track run down of the album (written in third person).
Say Anything
In April 2013 New Order arrived in Southern California to play the Coachella Festival. On his day off, guitarist Phil Cunningham, a longtime friend and former bandmate of Xander Smith’s, stopped by to pick up Xander on a quick errand to a local guitar shop. Phil started to pick out the opening riff of what would be “Say Anything.”
On the spot Smith grabbed another acoustic and started adding chords and an easy melody. Most of the song was born that day. Soon enough the recording of this track would continue in different studios and almost every musician added some bit to it, including none other than Bernard Sumner who contributed his signature melodica, some backing vocals and mix notes. The song is about a long distance disconnect between lovers who can’t quite seem to make it work between Los Angeles and the little town of Stockport just outside Manchester, UK.
Until Always
Originally intended to be a Run Run Run song, Smith first wrote / demoed this track in a NYC hotel room in March 2013. It was snowing that day and the music and lyrics came quickly so he ran across the hallway to his friend’s room. Hussain Jiffry is a gifted bassist from Sri Lanka who was on tour at the time with jazz/pop legend Herb Alpert. The two laid down most of what ended up being the final version in about 1 hour using one microphone.
Later, New Order/Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris added his drums in his home studio in Macclesfield, Uk. LA bassist Abby Travis added her parts, and producer Mike Harrison fleshed out the shins-esque bridge. The track continues the theme of misplaced emotions, unrealistic romantic expectations from the perspective of Brooklyn hipster, sadly cliche, but still longing for a stylish but unavailable uptown girl.
Spiders
When Xander Smith toured through Switzerland in Sept 2013, he was taken on a walk around Luzern. Stopping at all the tourist favs, he and his new friends made their way to the river and crossed a old wooden bridge. While others were enjoying the view of the splendid city, Smith looked up and noticed the ghastly depictions that were painted all across the bridge, like the stations of the Cross in a Catholic church. He snapped a photo and a chill ran down his back. Some time later he told this story to his girlfriend, Leilana. She said that many years before she had been at that exact spot and when her brother told her to look up, there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of spiders peering down. Smith was inspired and the song was born.
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Funny side note, Smith ran into their bedroom one evening and proudly claimed, “I’ve done it! I’ve finally written a song for you!” it was a dark, creepy little gem but hardly the romantic love song she had hoped for. Smith had a very Homer Simpson moment once he saw the look on her face. The track was recorded in just a few short hours and was made even more special with the brilliant cello by Artyom Manukyan and Ed Keller’s French horn.
Seventeen
One evening in early 2014, Xander Smith was in a bar and overheard someone saying that they were absolutely certain that the school shootings at “Sandy Hook” in 2012 were a hoax, conceived by the liberal media to push their agenda on gun control. Furthermore, this stranger went on to claim that President Obama and TV journalist Anderson Cooper were laughing when the cameras were shut off. Smith simply couldn’t believe how insane this theory was.
While Xander is not one to mix politics into his songwriting, feeling under-qualified in this area. But, the inspiration hit and “Seventeen” took an unpopular perspective — that of the mentally unstable shooter. Smith hoped to explore this aspect of the tragedy and help access some compassion where previously there had only been confusion and contempt. Once again, a quiet singer/ songwriter intro turned bombastic when a band was put on top of the track.
99
This track really was the beginning of the album. As an instrumental it was a short and sweet sentimental nod to one of Xander Smith’s favorite groups, Big Star from the 1970s. The chords inspired Smith to keep writing beyond this ditty. The lyrics came about after meeting a young woman named Kara from Fresno who was working in a local music shop. She played Smith a bit of one of her songs and Xander instantly felt he was sitting in front of an undiscovered treasure.
Her song and voice were direct, pure and unaffected. However, the circumstances of this girl’s life, being a 20 something, alone in a big, unwelcoming city, seemed to crush her spirit and sadly Smith lost contact with her before he saw this music get heard. Kara’s song finds its title from the stretch of road that connects Fresno, her hometown, and Los Angeles.
Washington Square
Arguably the sleeper on this record, this melancholic, mid 1970s pop country-ish sounding ballad features the incredible pedal steel of Nashville great Vern Monet and the members of New Order stretching out into new territory.
The song comes from Xander Smith watching kids play in NYC’s Washington Square park, scene in many films and named in many songs such as “Diamonds and Rust.” The playful nursery rhyme type melody takes on a much more powerful tone as the studio version captures a very early Eagles type approach. Mike Harrison added the essential understated drums to keep the style classic and underproduced.
Outside
Outside is the title track and has Smith noticed that it turned the most heads live as he test drove many of these songs on a short tour to the UK last fall. It’s a composite story of 3 men who were close to Xander. One, James was a talented band leader who would leave on tour but his wife was always terrified that he would go missing or his tour bus would flip over. The other two men had very unsuccessful battles with inner demons and frequently walked out looking for drugs, alcohol or seeking other forms of spiritual decline as their loved ones watched them depart…powerless to keep them safely inside.
It rained very heavily one winter weekend in North Hollywood when this particular lyric came about. The music was a wonderful three continent collaboration as the track was passed between musicians in Russia, the UK and US, slowly taking on it’s current form and sound.
Didsbury Bound
Tom Chapman and Phil Cunningham of New Order gave Xander Smith the kick in the pants necessary to turn the originally planned Outside EP into a full length album. Giving Smith his first chance to act as a stand alone singer/ lyricist in this solo project, Chapman and Cunningham nearly finished the music first in their Didsbury flat then sent it to LA via internet.
They probably expected a country lyric to accompany the bluegrass flavored music, but given his typically morbid sense of humor, Smith delivered a bit of fiction where he imagined a couple leaving a pub and meeting with peril as they drunk drove the windy roads from Manchester’s city centre to the suburb of Didsbury. Some specifics were even borrowed from the actual accident that took the life of legendary T- Rex singer Marc Bolan.
Lullaby
Xander Smith wrote these lyrics for his girlfriend Leilana as he sat in the studio listening back to the beautiful piano/ guitar demo sent to him by Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman.
It’s just a bedtime ballad that describes the two lovers relaxing and laughing at the TV as it flickers with horrible images of the world’s impending doom. It’s a simple love song. The music started in the home of Chapman with his comforting, saloon-esque piano and “RubyTuesday” like string arrangement. Then, Cunningham adding his guitar, peddling further melancholy. Finally, Smith and producer Mike Harrison laying additional orchestration on top to give it a kind of wistful, end of the day feeling Smith says is reminiscent of the Beatles’ “Good Night” off the White Album.
Leilana
This song is Xander Smith’s tribute to his girlfriend Leilana Cassidy whom he met at the very start of the making of this record. His message is “I love you and thank you for coming into my life, showing me true love and keeping me purposeful and compassionate towards all fellows.”
The song is treated in a very straightforward fashion a la the Hard Day’s Night style production and features Adam Topol (drummer for Jack Johnson), the bass of Tommy Joe Ratliff from Adam Lambert’s band, cello of Artyom Manukyan and Xander’s voice and guitar. It concludes the record with a sweet and hopeful feeling which was Smith’s intention.
