the smile makers
Holden, Massachusetts, United States
Music
Press
Monday, June 24, 2013
Jeffrey Starr, GoLocalWorcester Contributor
A duo that sounds as powerful as a whole band.
Holden's The Smile Makers' unique, experimental and at times positively captivating sound is the result of only two minds, but of a multitude of different instruments and influences. The duo consists of Eric Donaldson and Nicole Sutka, and together they are taking New England's local music scene by storm, bringing listeners on a journey through a rhythmic wave of seamless, progressive blends of folk, blues and funk while adding little droplets of grunge, jazz and even hip hop.
Both members are multi-talented, learning to play multiple instruments at a very young age; and they take full advantage of these natural artistic abilities, constantly pushing the limits of what is thought possible both on stage and in the studio. Donaldson pitches in on the acoustic guitar, ukulele and the harmonica, while Stuka takes care of the electric bass, woodwinds and piano. Each contributes vocals.
"Nicole and I are constantly multi-tasking to fill out the sound. We like our performances to have the energy and drive of a larger group, but the focus and dynamic control of a single performer," remarks Eric.
"Our music has a different but familiar sound, I'm a song writer at heart with roots in rock, blues and 90's grunge, but Nicole is more of a Jazz and hip-hop player. So our music has some pop aspects to it, but feels different partly because of our instrumentation and partly due to Nicole's deep rooted Jazz background, she has become the major lead instrumentalist in the group which gives us an unexpected progressive rock edge," he describes
A Special Style
They succeed at this task, to maintain that "energy and drive" but "focus and dynamic control", with flying colors. They use a number of different techniques, both while recording and performing live. Eric explains a few of these tricks in great detail.
"Nicole and I put together a microphone setup with guitar effects on the flute to give it a larger range of sounds with distortion, delay and chorus. Because it's always setup on stage Nicole also uses the effected microphone to add textures to some vocal and percussion parts. Another difference in our sound comes from Nicole's bass amplifier that we have setup with a lead-tone foot switch for soloing. I also use a few effects to broaden my guitar sound, and I sometimes play harmonica lines to add a third or fourth layer to the music."
They have created three albums of original material and, after three years together, they are beginning to get some major recognition. Production companies and concert venues around New England have begun to take notice. A quick sampling of their music on their Reverbnation site will give you a taste of why. In songs like "Broken in Two", fans of 60's and 70's folk and prog rock, and blues of an earlier age, will certainly hear the intricate and layered but catchy sounds and lyrics that hearken back to those classic musicians. But those who prefer the simple yet emotional, stirring and gentle acoustic melodies of modern alternative rock will find something to enjoy as well, especially in tunes like "Drinking Alone."
A Deep Need for Music
Their reasons for loving music will be familiar to most who are attracted to creative endeavors.
"It's a hard thing to explain where the musical interest comes from, or why we are drawn to it, I think music is something that chooses the person more than the person chooses music. If you are a musician you feel compelled to play and for both of us we also feel compelled to perform and write," Eric says.
They have a full slate of gigs planned for the summer, hitting up places in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. They are scheduled to perform about two shows a week for the rest of the season. They have upcoming shows at Beatnik's (June 27th) and Vincent's (July 6th) in Worcester. Those who chose to view them live are in for a treat.
"The necessity of the music in our lives is what really drives our performances, we are usually drenched in sweat playing with an urgency that sometimes sounds like we're going to explode, we stomp yell and hammer out songs that go from whisper quiet to face-bendingly loud it's like performing short scenes from inside the brain of a poetic drugged bipolar teenager that just left home for the first time," colorfully adds Eric .
They won't be stopping anytime soon. Performing and writing is a passion, almost an addiction that needs to be constantly quenched.
"Not having a musical project is like losing daylight in the winter, when it goes away it destroys mental and emotional functioning, probably some psychological explanation for why music is so important but really it just feels necessary for - GoLocalWorester
"When it comes to the Smile Makers, everything is unexpected. The music is intricate, delicate and sometimes a little dark. A song such as “Only Satellites” moves slowly, allowing you to sink into its spare vocals and desolate acoustic guitar. It’s gorgeous. Other songs, such as “Broken in Two,” have a sort of old-school, lyric-driven country edge. It’s a fine whiskey of a song, and like good whiskey, can leave you a little messed up and weepy. Each song creates its own vibe, and the duo plays with dynamics and vocal harmonies that are just captivating. This is some serious, serious music, and that’s something to smile about. (Victor D. Infante)" - Victor D. Infante, Worcester Telegram and Gazette (Jul 12, 2012)
Victor D. Infante - Worcester Telegram and Gazette
- Worcester Telegram and Gazette
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
"When it comes to the Smile Makers, everything is unexpected. The music is intricate, delicate and sometimes a little dark. A song such as 'Only Satellites' moves slowly, allowing you to sink into its spare vocals and desolate acoustic guitar. It's gorgeous. Other songs, such as 'Broken in Two,' have a sort of old-school, lyric-driven country edge. It's a fine whiskey of a song, and like good whiskey, can leave you a little messed up and weepy. Each song creates its own vibe, and the duo plays with dynamics and vocal harmonies that are just captivating. This is some serious, serious music, and that's something to smile about." - Victor D. Infante (Worcester Telegram & Gazette 2012)
About the musicians:
The Smile Makers, is comprised of Eric Donaldson (guitar, ukulele, resonator, harmonica and vocals), Nicole Sutka (electric bass, woodwinds and vocals),
Eric Donaldson is an artist and songwriter, he holds a BFA in sculpture from the Rochester Institute of Technology, and runs the Tree House Sculpture studio. He begged his parents to enroll him in lessons, and began playing classical cello at the age of six. Eric is an artist who uses his guitar like a pen or paintbrush, he writes lyrics that are honest and wrought with emotion, pulling musical and literary references as he blends prog-rock, folk, punk, ska and grunge. The catalog of music he has produced in his short time writing is deep and impressive. His melodies are crafted with elegant, sometimes raw lyrics, they are truthful expressions of sickness, love, friendship and mortality.
Nicole Sutka is a musician and songwriter with BM from the UMass music department, and M.Ed from Simmons college. Nicole is an electric bass playing phenomenon who pushes her abilities and skills in a musical world that expects less of women than it should. This talented and driven artist's earliest memories are of music, she began playing woodwind instruments at the age of five. She currently performs on flute and other woodwind instruments in several musical groups, but it was during high school when her band instructor handed her an electric bass to play in Jazz band that Nicole found her voice. Excelling quickly and in high demand she was playing shows with bands of experienced players before she turned eighteen. Nicole quickly elevated her playing to a professional level and focused on electric bass while studying music at UMass Amherst. In her first professional debuts Nicole performed in groups such as Lettuce, Soul Purpose and for Chameleon, she was also played along side artists such as Yusef Lateef and Eric Krasno. Nicole writes music with; a voice of social consciousness, an ear for improvisation and a hallmark of emotional fervor. Her songs blend Hip-Hop, Jazz, prog-rock and indie-rock genres with vocal harmony, wood-wind interludes and pulsing bass lines.
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