“Truly love Danika Smith’s brand of soulful folk. Dark and curious, it moves you with its textures and complexities driving a sense of wonder and makes you feel the true weight of the armour she sings about pressing down on your Soul.”
– Nkechi Anele, triple j Roots ‘N’ All
“Suit of Armour may be Smith’s debut as a solo artist, but the song reflects an artist with a captivating confidence both in her writing and delivery” – Evan Crandell, Indie Shuffle
“Smith’s voice brings the listener into her world without subjecting them to the constriction at the heart of the song.” – Shana Hartzel, Swelltone (US)
Melbourne’s Danika Smith has been weaving raw, timeless folk with supple jazz and soul undertones long before she made waves with her debut single of 2019. Danika’s thoughtfully packaged tunes explore tender topics of love, loss and growth through honey stick melodies and charismatic satire. But something’s shifting. It’s 2020, where women in music are being recognised and supported, so she feels it’s time to get experimental. Folk is heaven, no doubt, but curiosity, desire and the inner groove has unavoidably begun Danika Smith’s metamorphosis. Enter ‘Sweet Mellow D’, with the worldwide premiere last weekend courtesy of renowned broadcaster, DJ and record collector, Gilles Peterson on his BBC6 radio show. Out today via Ditto, the arrival of ‘Sweet Mellow D’ marks the second of two tracks to be lifted from Danika’s anticipated debut album due for release in early 2021.
Following from the success of Danika’s debut single ‘Suit Of Armour’ last year, ‘Sweet Mellow D’ expands on Danika’s already established and singular sound, branching further into sprawling atmospheric, soulful folk with purposeful, rhythmic storytelling. Co-produced with Grammy nominated engineer Nick Herrera, and featuring Paul Bender (Hiatus Kaiyote, Swooping Duck) on bass and Maria Moles (On Diamond, Jaala) on drums, ‘Sweet Mellow D’ marries lilting guitar plucking with soulful siren vocals and haunting production in a stunning example of Danika’s impressive musicianship and sheer breadth as a budding artist on the rise.
“Sweet Mellow D feels like a song of recognition of my personal growth. I believe we all have to go on a journey of healing within our lifetime. One of unlearning and relearning, in order to truly know ourselves and to live a life that is fulfilling and meaningful. ‘I feel like I’m only starting to know myself now’. The day this song was inspired, I was sitting there with the nylon on my lap, and I felt mellow and content. I thought about those swirling years of pain and confusion in contrast to the peace, and so I put it into song, with deep gratitude to the power of music.” – Danika Smith
Since moving to Melbourne in 2014, Danika Smith has become a staple of the local music scene, laying down tracks with 30/70, TomGirl and Allysha Joy and touring nationally. With her solo project, Danika has performed at Strawberry Fields, Brunswick Music Festival and PBS FM Drive Live and has graced the stages of a plethora of Melbourne music venues including The Night Cat, Colours, The Evelyn, The Gasometer and The Penny Black among others. Her debut long play is set to be released in early 2021 and brings together a cohesive and cathartic body of work, carefully curated over the past six years. You won’t want to sleep on it.
‘Sweet Mellow D’ is out now via Ditto and a limited run of 7″ including ‘Sweet Mellow D’ (SIDE A) and ‘Suit of Armour’ (SIDE B) are available via Northside Records and Danika’s Bandcamp.
Credits
Written by Danika Smith
Produced by Nick Herrera and Danika Smith
Recorded and Mixed by Nick Herrera
Mastered by Lachlan Carrick
Guitar/Vocal – Danika Smith
Bass – Paul Bender
Drums – Maria Moles
