“Like all the best music, my interest has been based on intuition mostly. The lyrical guitars, rhythmic patterns, and hushed vocals are well arranged and composed.”
–Jason Bentley, KCRW
“Smith adds layers of soothing guitars and vocals with ease, reaching a build-up that feels natural, without ever fully peaking.”
–The FADER
“Intoxicating indie-pop that manages a dreamy appeal despite its frenetic pace, balancing flying saucer synths with a hyperactive rhythm section.”
–PASTE
STREAM & SHARE: “Jon” (edit) –
Streaming Services
A Beacon School (the dream pop project of New York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Patrick J. Smith) recently announced his much anticipated first full-length in five years, yoyo, and today shares a new edit of the electronic dance track “Jon.” yoyo will be released October 13th via Grind Select.
Here’s what Smith said of the new edit of “Jon”-
“I’ve always loved listening to, and creating, electronic music, but I wasn’t sure if it would make sense alongside my guitar songs. When “It’s Late” was so well-received on the last record, it gave me the confidence to pursue this direction further, and make something that paid homage to my favorite dance music.”
The official follow-up to his beloved debut Cola, Smith takes his sound even further with 10 tracks that are an untainted exploration of the unconscious artistic self and the oscillation of time.
Smith began making music as A Beacon School in 2009. A home-recorded demo single was released in 2011, and a self-titled EP by a full-band lineup appeared near the end of 2012. Smith notably played with bands such as Modern Rivals and Bluffing, and currently works with Parquet Courts’ Max Savage as part of Maxband.
In 2018, A Beacon School‘s Cola was released by Grind Select. Alternating between uptempo, jangly pop nuggets, lush shoegaze and intricately-arranged electronic soundscapes, it quickly found an audience and became a staple on KCRW’s flagship program, Morning Becomes Eclectic.
After receiving positive press and slowly gaining a worldwide following, an expanded vinyl edition of Cola was released in 2019 in conjunction with Fat Possum’s House Arrest imprint, amassing over 50 million streams, tours with El Ten Eleven and Ruby Haunt and syncs on critically acclaimed shows such as Hacks and Shrinking.
Press photo by Matthew Marino
