Biography
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Years Active
1995 – 2009 (14 years)
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Founded In
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Secondsmile was a post-hardcore band from Bridport, Dorset, UK signed to Big Scary Monsters Records. Beginning as a high school group in 1995, gigging the local circuit playing Silverchair and Deftones songs, after many name and member changes the band solidified its moniker and line-up in 2002 when guitarists Ross Smithwick,Thomas Warne and bassist Philip Wrixton recruited vocalist Olly Goodland and Ross' brother Fiann Smithwick and began to make a name for themselves when a two track demo CD received airplay on BBC Radio One.
The group then signed to Big Scary Monsters records and released a 4-track EP, "I Am Not Romeo, You Are Not Juliet", a melodic yet aggressive bunch of tracks that earned comparisons with heavyweights At The Drive-In, Hopesfall and Refused. The band began touring the UK and Europe with friends Jairus, Meet Me in St Louis, Make Her Cry, Aconite Thrill, and Sparks, Lights and Flames.
Goodland and the group parted ways after a high profile headline show at London Metro leading to guitarist Ross taking up vocal duties. Musically the group became more progressive, with longer songs and elements of post-rock seeping into the sound. First album "Walk Into The Light and Reach For The Sky" was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and propelled the group into the focus of magazines earning themselves some higher profile tour slots with The Fall of Troy, Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly and Planes Mistaken for Stars.
For 2008's follow-up album, "Years", Secondsmile recruited Thomas Gale on guitar and keyboard duties. Recorded and produced in New York with Andrew Schneider (Cave In, Pelican, Daughters) and mastered by Greg Calbi (Blondie, David Bowie, Ramones), and featuring guest appearances from Gerard Garone (Radio Four), Oli Knowles (Meet Me in St Louis) and Dan Adams (This Town Needs Guns), the album received rave reviews across the board, expanding their sound into new territories again, likened to The Smashing Pumpkins and Biffy Clyro, and leading to more intensive touring schedules, where the band shared the stage with, amongst others, Rival Schools, The Blood Brothers, Daughters, Fightstar and Don Caballero.
The band disbanded following drummer Fianns departure in Janaury 2009, going on hiatus for a year before eventually announcing at the end of 2009 they wouldn't be continuing. After a few years out of music, Goodland went onto to appear in rockers Minotaur Explode. Gale continued studying music, releasing the ambient Loops & Stems as Thomas James Gale, and joining electronic project Jangle. Ross Smithwick, Thomas Warne and Philip Wrixton went onto form new band Stations In The Valley.
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