Biography
The partnership known as Smith & Burrows arose when Editors vocalist Tom Smith and Andy Burrows, previously the drummer for both Razorlight and We Are Scientists, began meeting regularly at each other’s homes.
An idea that started as a seasonal joke soon grew into a sustained undertaking, and by 2011 the pair had assembled a varied set of Christmas material—both longstanding carols and newly written pieces—that deliberately offset conventional holiday brightness with a darker atmosphere.
The album Funny Looking Angels, which featured a guest appearance by Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel, reached listeners in November 2011.
During the following decade Smith resumed his role with Editors, guiding the band through three further studio albums that culminated in 2018’s Violence and continued afterward.
Burrows meanwhile followed a broader route, releasing three solo albums while also composing and recording for the 2012 animated short The Snowman and The Snowdog and contributing to the soundtracks of Ricky Gervais films David Brent: Life on the Road and After Life.
Once Burrows had worked with singer/songwriter Tom Odell and author Matt Haig, Smith & Burrows returned to joint activity.
The first new song in nearly nine years, the June 2020 single “All the Best Moves,” introduced a breezy, optimistic mood not always present in the pair’s separate projects, a quality that carried over to the later singles “Old TV Shows” and “Parliament Hill,” the latter an ode to a North London overlook.
All three tracks appeared on the duo’s second album, Only Smith & Burrows Is Good Enough, issued in February 2021.
An idea that started as a seasonal joke soon grew into a sustained undertaking, and by 2011 the pair had assembled a varied set of Christmas material—both longstanding carols and newly written pieces—that deliberately offset conventional holiday brightness with a darker atmosphere.
The album Funny Looking Angels, which featured a guest appearance by Danish singer/songwriter Agnes Obel, reached listeners in November 2011.
During the following decade Smith resumed his role with Editors, guiding the band through three further studio albums that culminated in 2018’s Violence and continued afterward.
Burrows meanwhile followed a broader route, releasing three solo albums while also composing and recording for the 2012 animated short The Snowman and The Snowdog and contributing to the soundtracks of Ricky Gervais films David Brent: Life on the Road and After Life.
Once Burrows had worked with singer/songwriter Tom Odell and author Matt Haig, Smith & Burrows returned to joint activity.
The first new song in nearly nine years, the June 2020 single “All the Best Moves,” introduced a breezy, optimistic mood not always present in the pair’s separate projects, a quality that carried over to the later singles “Old TV Shows” and “Parliament Hill,” the latter an ode to a North London overlook.
All three tracks appeared on the duo’s second album, Only Smith & Burrows Is Good Enough, issued in February 2021.
Albums
