The Smith & Western Jury are a band from Wurundjeri Country; Melbourne, Australia. They make music with a tip of the hat to classic country and western nostalgia and offer a polite bow and curtsey to contemporary pop.
Lead by the charming and sweeter-than-honey howl of singer/songwriter Samantha Lombardi, The Smith & Western Jury sway between wild, fiery honky-tonk and slow, dreamy pop-tinged country as effortlessly as a drunk cowgirl riding a mechanical bull in the middle of a neon-soaked dance floor. Blowing kisses to tradition in the rear-view mirror, the band are riding their very own highway into modernity.
The Jury’s ever growing songbook is filled with themes from imaginary films; based on true stories. They star a cast of strong, resilient characters who are down on their luck but give it their all, as well as shady grifters who push their luck and take all they can get. These scenes play out over a meticulously composed soundtrack featuring the burning heart licks of guitarist Simon Torcasio, with a thundering, foot-stomping rhythm section courtesy of Danny Bonnici on the bass and Matthew Marasco on the drum set.
Lombardi’s blissfully sharp lyricism depicts a place where romance and heartache come to hold hands. A place where everybody is looking for their someone in the loneliest bars, seeking salvation in cheap road-side motels or simply just trying to find their place in a nowhere town.