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THE WHITE BUFFALO

“IT’S A DREADNOUGHT, Y’KNOW?

IT HAS ALL THE TONES THAT I NEED.

I PLAY WITH A VERY PRIMITIVE AND
VERY AGGRESSIVE STYLE. I’M KIND

OF ATTACKING IT. I’M ALL RIGHT HAND.

THERE’S NO FLASH – PLAY FUCKIN’

HARD OR DON’T PLAY AT ALL”

Before they could get into the studio together
though, Smith and Jennings first had to bond. Their
respective managements were involved at some point,
Smith assumes, but their initial meeting came in a bar.
“We didn’t talk about working with each other or any
of that, we just shot the shit and talked about life and
music and whatever,” says Smith. “We just got drunk.”
After shooting the shit with Shooter, the following
meeting came at the producer’s home. “The next time
we met, I went over to his house with the intention of
writing some songs, or letting him help me flesh some
things out,” says Smith. “I didn’t really have shit going
in. I woke up the night before and had this kind of
loose idea so I sang it into my phone, just a lyric and a
melody. I wasn’t confident about what I had, and was
nervous about bringing it to someone I respected. But
I sang him my idea, we worked it out on the piano and
within a matter of minutes it was totally realised.”

CORNER MAN
ake Smith keeps things honest. His music is Smith took that energy and ran with it. While
rough-hewn and almost totally unvarnished, Jennings’ influence didn’t permeate the album’s
and with On The Widow’s Walk, his latest LP songwriting, his seasoned observations and the sense
as The White Buffalo, he wants to do what he’s of validation he was able to offer proved formative.
J always done with his records: hit you where it “In turn, I went on a songwriting bender,” says Smith.
hurts. “If you’re a songwriter,” he says on the line from “I get manic with my writing sometimes and it just
Los Angeles, “you should be in the emotion business.” explodes out. After that, Shooter was my guy. He
Produced by Shooter Jennings, solo artist and inspired me, so it was, like, ‘Let’s see what we can
the son of country stars Waylon Jennings and Jessi do now in the studio’.”
Colter, On The Widow’s Walk situates Smith’s detail- As he wrote, Smith batted around the possibility
oriented Americana songs and earthy baritone voice of making a fully fledged concept album. The title
amid stripped-back rustic tones and expressive but of On The Widow’s Walk is derived from widow’s
restrained playing. “Shooter’s just a feel guy, you walks, which are platforms atop coastal homes in
know?” says Smith of the record’s easy chemistry. North America that were used as lookout points for
Jennings roped Smith and his longtime bandmates ships at sea. Eventually, an overarching narrative was
drummer Matt Lynott and bassist Christopher Hoffee jettisoned as more new songs darkened his doorway
– who also played all of the LP’s electric guitars – but the water motif – not to mention the rich vein
into recording largely live, with minimal overdubs of sorrow – stuck around.
and a collaborative spirit. The approach was almost “I learnt about them from my drummer, who told
completely new to them but it clicked immediately. me the story of women pining for their husbands
“That’s where I feel we shine, in that live setting,” who were out at sea,” says Smith. “I thought that,
says Smith. “We’re not a flashy band. We’re dynamic. conceptually, the idea had such a nice palette for a
To have that space and those highs and lows, and to whole narrative: there’s drama, there’s love, there’s
make those as real as possible, was refreshing. I don’t romance, there’s the violence of the sea, all these
know why we haven’t always recorded like that.” terrible and beautiful things.

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