The Liquorsmiths
San Diego, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | INDIE
Music
Press
" The Liquorsmiths have the innate ability to connect through their live act in ways that many bands can only aspire to. They can infiltrate and crack even the toughest of crowds. The rise of the group from the underground to the mainstream appears to be inevitable." -Triston Brewer - BestNewBands.com
"Their new EP “This Book Belongs To” is a six track collection of some of the best music you’ll hear this year... “Get Well Soon” will break away the wall of mold that has built up in our minds over the years with boring dribble that just repeats itself and give us a fresh start to every day. It’s full of life, full of brightness." -Sherryl Craig - Nashville Music Guide
"Start to finish, there’s so much to enjoy. Lyrics, melody, music crafting, production. The Liquorsmiths nail it with this album and deserve a very rare 5 stars. And I swear I’m not drunk or high right now." -Antiem Boyd - Scallywag Magazine
"Front man, Drew Thams delivers such purity and honesty in his poetic lyrics that you can’t help but be drawn into the story he is sharing with us from his wonderful, musical platform." -Alex Feigin - Pancakes and Whiskey
"Only the liquorsmith can so expertly consummate the event of drinking, finding and implementing the perfect touches to make sure your inebriation is unfettered and revelrous." -MacEagon Voyce - AXS
"It is a unique and captivating combination of sounds... which blends catchy folk hooks with rumbling drums by both drummers to perfection." - San Diego Troubadour
"This new folk-rock trio performs with a crisp-winter clarity that conjures up the best and most thoughtful collegiate rock of, say, Simon and Garfunkel..."
-Jay Allen Sanford, Staff Writer - San Diego Reader: Blurt Music News
"This Book Belongs To is the soundtrack to the great American indie road trip. It’s broad, touching, beautiful, and raw. The Liquorsmiths bring the stories of country and the rawness of a garage band to indie folk." -Tanya Tabone - Indiemunity
"Purveyors of shuffling honky tonk barnburners and good ol’ fashioned country-tinged folk, they also specialize in slow-burning acoustic balladry that owe more to Iron & Wine than Johnny Cash – these guys straddle the line between Americana and indie rock and that’s quite alright with me." -Dustin Lothspeich - Tour Worthy
"Thirsty for some booze-soaked Americana with a melodic pop twist? This trio has a tall, cool drink for you...If you’re not familiar with the band already, you will be. Check ’em out." - San Diego Uptown News
"A truly captivating live performance. I've witnessed on repeated occasions their ability to gradually pull in even the toughest of crowds to share in their heartfelt experiences. I'd urge anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to catch one of their performances to do so as soon as they have the chance, but beware that it could become quite the addiction." - Jeremy Grelle, Owner Inhesion Studios
…they have a real grip on the magic, freedom and wonder of music and their love of their craft shines brightly... These three guys truly own their folk-sounds with tremendous confidence…and through the haze of the bar-lights & empty whiskey bottles…The Liquorsmiths shine brightly with beautiful songs right till the very last call and it’s time to stumble home." -Jer@SBS - SleepingBag Studios
"From the pleasant shuffle of “Get Well Soon” to the jazzy quirkiness of “Devil I Do,” the band doesn’t knock you over with force, but they casually wipe you out with an emotional and subtly keen sense for storytelling. " -Cody Conard - The Big Takeover (magazine)
"'This Book Belongs To', simply bleeds emotion with its narrative lyricism...best served alongside a relaxed mind and a calm heart. If you are looking for a listen that will ease its way into your day off, look no further, sit, be still, and enjoy the sounds of The Liquorsmiths." -Graham White - Geyser Music
"Take the introspective story telling of John Prine, the accessibility of The Lumineers and the instrumentation of the Doors and you've got The Liquorsmiths, one of San Diego's most promising new bands and a group of artists to watch." - Justin Rodriguez, Talent Buyer/Promoter/Venue Owner
"The bluesy quirk and ramshackle song stylings of the Liquorsmiths conjure Devendra Banhart..." - Kimberly Chun, SF Gate
Discography
"This Book Belongs To" -- 2015, Inhesion Records
"All My Friends Are Fighters" -- 2018, Inhesion Records
"Live at Chaos Recorders" -- 2019, Self Released
Photos
Bio
With their first full-length release "All My Friends Are Fighters", The Liquorsmiths seek to expand upon their core ethos - folk rock is the new punk rock. Hailing as they do from the pleasant climes of San Diego, one might have preconceived visions of laid back dreamy beach music, but this three-piece creates songs that are hard-hitting dynamic adventures that can turn in an instant from internal contemplation to cacophonous catharsis and back again with each turn bringing a fresh new layer of surprise to the mix. The 9-song journey proves that there is still plenty of room to find new sounds by mixing the rawness and passion of early 90's alternative and post-punk indie rock with the intimacy and beauty typical of their folk and americana beginnings. In creating this record, singer/guitarist Drew Thams, drummer Clayton Payne, and keyboardist/percussionist Ryan Fischer convened with producer and Inhesion Records label-head Jeremy Grelle in a large wood cabin on a horse ranch in Morongo Valley, a remote town in the midst of the southeastern California desert. The improvised recording location served a two-fold purpose - to create a relaxing and inspiring environment in which to work at their own pace, and as a naturally beautiful acoustic space that allowed plenty of room to capture the intricacy and power of Payne's drumming and the live energy of the band's trademark dual-percussion grooves. To match that energy, their producer had Thams run his acoustic guitar through a vintage tube amp as he does on stage and combined that with the pure acoustic tone to create a range of sounds that ably hold up to the visceral weight of his unique percussive strumming style. His passionate vocals weave in and out, floating on top of Fischer's dreamy keyboard lines as he spins tales of life, love, friends and family with a prosaic style all his own. One of the stated goals of Inhesion Records is to champion the continued relevance of the album as an art form in the digital age, and "All My Friends Are Fighters" makes it clear from beginning to end why they chose The Liquorsmiths as the first artist for their roster. From the thunderstorm bombast of "Let It Come", to the intricately layered beauty of title track "All My Friends Are Fighters", the saloon stomp of "Stay", and the deeply intimate ruminations of "As I Was", the band showcases the depth of range afforded by their vast talents and experience and provides the listener with a journey of peaks and valleys and much detail to be unearthed upon repeated listens. The Liquorsmiths’ live act is fast becoming the stuff of legend, with inspired spots of improvisation and new surprises always in store. The songs are taken to new heights with every show, playing to the crowd and giving every available ounce of raw emotion. Having already landed their fair share of high profile gigs, sharing the stage with Gill Landry (Old Crow Medicine Show), Stelth Ulvang (The Lumineers), The Silent Comedy, The Wild Reeds, David J (Bauhaus), and countless others, they are looking to branch out further and bring the sounds of “All My Friends Are Fighters” to bigger and better stages across the country as more and more people discover what they mean when they say, “Folk rock is the new punk rock.”
Band Members
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