Written by Josie Reaney
I felt the cold coming in with a bite for the first time on Thursday night, it was the typical dreary kind of an autumn night that we’ll be getting used to from now on. But on the launch of their debut album, the turns of the season could never dampen spirits for Northern Smokers Club. I have to admit, I didn’t know what to expect but walking into the gig it immediately became apparent that the night would be fun, familial and celebratory. The basement was clouded with excitement and anticipation as proud family, friends and fans filled the room. It felt like the start of bigger things.
The room buzzed as the band opened with ‘Two To Break a Heart‘. The crowd began to warm to the music and it soon became easy to imagine many a sad indie boy devotedly singing along with Strongbow cans raised to the heavens. Slow saw the band loosen into their sound as frontman Edward Sweeney’s vocals mirrored Luke Prichard of the Kooks and the lovesick lyrics seemed sure to pull in Catfish and the Bottlemen worshipers in their masses.
The set took an acoustic breath with ‘Angel’. This is a ballad laid bare, showcasing the bands songwriting talents. Sweeney holds up his grandfather, an Irish folk musician, as a major influence to him. This is the moment where that inspiration comes through. The story telling is stronger in its simplicity much akin to the narrative skill and beauty and of traditional Irish folk. It’s the Northern Smokers Clubs equivalent of Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Riot Van’- a gem of an acoustic interlude. The band take the time and space needed to tell the tale of a waitress who “only pushed (her) dreams aside.” It was special to see this track performed in such an intimate setting and proved the band are no one trick pony. This is the kind of song where you can’t help but wonder if it’s only a story- the lyrics and the performance seemed to make me feel otherwise as I looked back to the crowd of loved ones swaying in time to the music.
The mood soon lifted with the singalong ‘Nostalgia’. Drinks were passed from the bar to the band. The endearing pop of ‘Young Love‘ raised the energy further. The band were having fun now, getting lost in their milestone moment on the release night of their first record. Guitarist Joe Lawson cracked open the cans passed down through the audience. Sweeney even dared to strip to his vest in the excitement (risqué)!
‘1999’, the eponymous track on the record closes the album with an indie bang, as Sweeney shouts “sorry, that’s all we’ve got! We’ve played the whole album now!” The inevitable “one more song” chants began and it was with the encore that Northern Smokers Club shone their brightest. ‘Lazy’ (although not a feature on the album) is the band at their best. It was written spontaneously on a ukulele and recorded in Lawsons mums conservatory which Sweeney has jokingly described as “the best creative space I’ve ever been in”. This song captures a moment, a feeling. Sweeney penned the track after a night out with the song embodying that muddied state of mind which I’m sure we all know too well. Thought after thought ricochets and loops through a lyrical stream of consciousness in what is ironically a melodically concise tune. But the band have warned us to not overthink it, which makes it the best kind of song: a song that just is. It’s also the most ‘Sheffield’ of all their songs, as Sweeney at last drops the practised southern indie drawl for his natural accent. The room was electrified as the audience sang along devotedly for the first time in the set. It was this song, this moment that makes me think Northern Smokers Club may well be a force to be reckoned with in the indie scene. This is the kind of tune everyone can sing to, no matter their music tribe or taste.
The band left their set buzzing, they claimed not to have played live in years- I can’t say I believe them. They may say they’re just “four lads trying enjoy music and just do what everyone else is doing”, but I think they owe themselves less humility and I hope they know it too.
Keep an eye out for Northern Smokers Club and make sure to support their new album ‘1999’. You can listen to it here.
Jarred Up 
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