The Cambridge alt-rockers’ Ross Smithwick is recording his own, exciting material under the Future Lives name. Listen to lead single This Is Living, here.
Lonely The Brave guitarist Ross Smithwick is toying around with solo material, under the name Future Lives, to fascinating effect, as this track, This Is Living, is evidence of.
This Is Living – which we’re chuffed to be premiering – is the title-track of a parent EP, scheduled for release in September. It’s the second solo song that Smithwick has revealed, following the blistering, synths-kissed rush of Ex Marks, which you can listen to here.
This Is Living is even more immediate of hit, a sugar-sweet combination of tight hooks and soaring choruses. Check it out below.
Says Smithwick of his new project (Twitter, Facebook):
“I have started this project to work on alongside Lonely The Brave. Although I love being in a band where we all are collaborators, there is also a big part of me that is a sole songwriter, and I have lots of musical and lyrical ideas that I want to do on my own. It’s a selfish musical itch that needs to be scratched!
“So with my debut EP planned for release in September along with putting together a live band in Bristol, I really want this to be the start of something cool. I already have my mind on a debut album and have a lot more material written, ready to be recorded. The live band is sounding great now, and we are looking at a first show in Bristol in the autumn, which can then be the start of us playing more all over the country.
“I’m excited to be doing this, as well as a little nervous. It’s scary going at it alone…”
“It’s basically a panic attack in song form…”
And of This Is Living itself, Smithwick – who before joining Lonely The Brave was a founding member of the great Dorset band Secondsmile – adds:
“This Is Living is the title track of my EP and the second song I've released as Future Lives. It’s the most punchy, straight-to-the point and catchy song on the EP in my opinion, and also my favourite musically and lyrically – which is why I want to get it out there as a 'lead single' kind of thing.
“It represents everything that this new project is about in this first stage. It's aggressive, passionate, poppy, and emotional, and it’s all of me coming out. It’s basically a panic attack in song form, and is about all my hopes, fears, love and my anxiety about them all.”
Like what you’re hearing? Pre-order the This Is Living EP here, and keep an eye on the Future Lives socials for live dates.
Fancy exploring Smithwick’s past? Listen to Secondsmile’s jagged-riffs-aplenty 2008 album, Years, below.
