Smoosh

Infobox musical artist
Name = Smoosh


Img_capt = The girls of Smoosh - Chloe and Asy (not pictured: Maia)
Img_size = 250
Landscape =
Background = group_or_band
Alias =
Origin = Seattle, Washington
Genre = Rock, Pop, indie rock
Years_active = 2000–present
Label = Barsuk Records, Pattern 25
Associated_acts =
URL = www.smoosh.com
Current_members = Chloe (original member)
Asy (Asya, original member)
Maia (joined 2007)
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Smoosh started as an American indie pop duo, consisting of two sisters, singer/keyboardist Asya (preferred name Asy, born February 2 1992) and drummer Chloe (born March 5, 1994). Recently their younger sister Maia (born September 5, 1996) joined the band for their Summer 2007 tour.imaginary liz, [http://www.threeimaginarygirls.com/node/5111 Meet Smoosh's Bass Player!] , "Three Imaginary Girls", May 24, 2007.] At the time of their first album, "She Like Electric", released on September 21, 2004, Asya (currently aged age|1992|2|2) was 12 years old and Chloe (currently aged age|1994|3|5) was 10. All of their songs are originals with both music and lyrics written by the girls themselves. Maia (currently aged age|1996|9|5), then not in the band, provided the cover artwork for both that album and their next, "Free to Stay".

They live in Seattle, Washington with their father Mike, a medical researcher, their mother Maria, a pediatrician of Swedish descent, and their younger sister Scout. They do not give out their last name to interviewers. Asy, Chloe and Maia are all vegetarians.Lisa Heyamoto, [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2002164249_smoosh29.html Tweenage band Smoosh rocks Seattle scene] , January 30, 2005. Accessed 12 April 2006.] Marc Hirsh, [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/06/14/novelty_think_again/ Novelty? Think again] , "The Boston Globe", June 14, 2006. Accessed 19 November 2006.] They are, to some extent, protégées of Chloe's drum teacher, Jason McGerr, now the drummer of Death Cab for Cutie.Almond, Steve: [http://www.believermag.com/issues/200506/interview_smoosh.php "Smoosh" (interview)] , "The Believer" [http://www.believermag.com/issues/200506/ June 2005] . Accessed online 13 November 2006.]

Biography

Quote box
quote = "There’s this band Smashmouth, and we liked how that sounded, so we came up with Smoosh. We just liked the sound of the word. But we pronounced it Smush [rhymes with bush] . Then people started saying it Smoosh, with the ooo sound. So it became Smoooosh. "
source = Asya on the band name's origin in a 2005 interview. [Steve Almond interview, (brackets in original)]
width = 35%
align = rightSmoosh started in 2000, when the family was at a Seattle music store, The Trading Musician, standing in line to restring a violin. Asya and Chloe wandered into the drum section of the store, where Chloe met Jason McGerr; the family eventually left with a $600 drum kit for Chloe, McGerr's card from the Seattle Drum School, "and no violin." [http://www.pattern25.com/bands/smoosh.shtml Smoosh] , Pattern 25 Records. Accessed 16 November 2006.] When McGerr learned that Asya had been playing the piano and writing songs since she was very young, he offered to help them both.Asya does not read music and [Alexander Lauence, [http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/archives/2005/02/an_interview_wi_1.html An Interview with Indie Sensation, Smoosh] , "Free Williamsburg", February 18, 2005. Accessed 11 December 2006.] had had some formal piano training earlier but soon quit because it was "boring".

In 2000, Smoosh released "Tomato Mistakes" – a two-track single that, for a long time, was mailed free of charge to anyone who wanted it. Four years later, in September 2004, "She Like Electric", Smoosh's full-length debut was released under Pattern 25 Records.

By the time Smoosh released their second LP, on June 6, 2006, titled "Free to Stay", they were picked up by Seattle-based indie label Barsuk Records. Its third and title track, "Free to Stay," was an early song featured on "Tomato Mistakes". Asya also plays guitar on one track of "Free To Stay". The sophomore album also features the song "Find A Way", which was performed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live", on July 12, 2006, their first performance on late night TV. [Performance on YouTube http://youtube.com/watch?v=pfdQoTdazq4] Touring with the Eels as part of a world tour in mid-2006, they are also featured in the California-based band's live album Live and in Person! London 2006.

On August 5, 2007, Smoosh performed at Lollapalooza 2007 at Chicago's Grant Park. Their set included a cover of "This Modern Love" by Bloc Party, who they would later tour with that same year in September. Earlier that year, they also performed a headlining spring tour on the east coast with The Postmarks.

Critics have generally compared their sound to that of Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, and have been almost uniformly impressed with the quality of the material coming from such young writers and performers. [Douglas Wolk, [http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0439/040929_music_smallmouth.php Discovering the Dream] , "Seattle Weekly", September 29, 2004. Accessed 12 April 2006.] [Anuj Desai, [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/catpower/articles/story/6795003/preteen_smoosh_are_rad?rnd=1144800640630&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1465 Pre-Teen Smoosh Are "Rad"] , "Rolling Stone", December 28, 2004. Accessed 12 April 2006.] They have opened for many leading Pacific Northwest bands including Pearl Jam, Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater-Kinney, and the Presidents of the United States of America, as well as for other acts such as Mates of State, Jimmy Eat World, Cat Power (who also covers their song, "Rad"), Nada Surf, Sufjan Stevens and The Go! Team. Asya also collaborated with Seattle indie band Head Like a Kite to create the songs "Noisy at the Circus" (which can be found on Head Like a Kite's first album "Random Portraits of the Home Movie") and "Daydream Vacation" (which can be found on their second album "There Is Loud Laughter Everywhere"). The girls have also recently been performing a cover of "Flyswatter" by The Eels, in which Maia plays glockenspiel.

In early 2008, they toured with such bands as Tokyo Police Club and The Dresden Dolls. Smoosh have confirmed on their myspace and in interviews that they have finished writing their upcoming third album and have already recorded four songs. The album should be released "early 2009".

Members

*Asy (Asya) - lead vocals, keyboards
*Chloe - back-up vocals, drums
*Maia - bass

Discography

*"Tomato Mistakes" (2002)
*"She Like Electric" (2004)
*"Free to Stay" (2006)
*"TBA" (2009)
*"Live and in Person! London 2006" (Eels CD and DVD; Smoosh plays on three tracks)

Gallery

Notes

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*McLean, Craig: [http://women.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27869-2208384.html "Too Much Too Young?"] , The Sunday Times, June 11, 2006
*Nelson, Sean: [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=18879 "This "Is" the Band"] . The Stranger, July 22, 2004. Band profile

External links

* [http://www.smoosh.com/ Official site]
* [http://www.myspace.com/smooshtheband Smoosh's Myspace Page]
* [http://faculty.washington.edu/kendo/smoosh.html Smoosh page] maintained by University of Washington librarian Tom Bolling, very extensive set of links to newspaper stories.
* [http://portable-infinite.blogspot.com/2005/02/alexander-gets-rad-with-smoosh.html Interview by Alexander Laurence]
* [http://www.barsuk.com/bands/smoosh/ Smoosh on Barsuk Records]
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91054554 Smoosh Raises the Lights with 'Dark Shine' / Sister Band Smoosh Rocks Kids-at-Work Day] , National Public Radio. Two NPR pieces on Smoosh.
* [http://www.freewebs.com/gregsticker1/ Smoosh Files fan tribute site]