Artist description With influences as wide ranging as Elvis Presley, Dire Straits and Lucinda Williams, the Mason Smith Band serves up Americana/Rock & Roll Music in that old-school style. The core of the Mason Smith Band are singer/songwriter Kelly Mason Smith, drummer Ned Lavengood and guitarist Jay Thigpen. Kelly Smith is a native of Wilson, North Carolina and started his path to song writing by partaking in countless "back porch" jams, with his friends and neighbors sharing, playing and talking about good music. As teenagers, Kelly met Ned at one of these sessions and began playing together as a way to share their appreciation for the Americana/Rock & Roll music they enjoyed. A few years later, Kelly met Jay, former guitarist for the regionally successful "Earth Murchants". The three of them, together, brought life to the music that Kelly had penned. Kelly cast a little sunshine on today’s often cloudy music horizon; Jay added a spontaneous spark with a versatile array of guitar talent at his finger tips; and Ned’s solid groove provided the backbone for Kelly’s heartfelt creativity. Add to the mix guest appearances by several of Kelly’s talented "back porch" buddies and the stage is set. Mason Smith throws a little bit of everything into their sound; Country guitar licks, Rock & Roll rhythms, crawfish and onions. . .all mixed together with Kelly’s "awe shucks" charm and stage presence. Mason Smith lights up the audience and serves them a heapin’ helpin’ of Rock & Roll.

Music Style Country, Americana

Musical Influences Elvis Presly, Dire Straits, Beatles, Lucinda Williams, Delbert McClinton, Ryan Adams, Led Zepplin

Group Members Kelly Mason Smith-Guitars, Vocals Jay Thigpen-Guitars, Vocals Jim Mcfadyen-Bass Guitar, Vocals Ned Lavengood-Drums

Instruments Guitar, Bass, Vocals, Drums, Violin, Trombone, Sax, Keyboards

Albums Southern Roads

Press Reviews Record Review by: Arthur Shuey- http://daddyvoice.tripod.com 5/15/03 Mason Smith Band--Southern Roads--BMR-02-03 Distance is measured in increments, like mileposts on a road, and identified by landmarks, like a rock that looks like a bear. Trends in popular music provide us with mileposts for our memories, and changes in those trends give us landmarks into the past. “Purist” or “retro” bands help us map our way back to places we’ve been in time. The Mason Smith Band can guide you back into a time when Southern Rock existed, but had been neither labeled nor nailed down into the narrow grooves it’s locked into today. This is Southern Rock because it’s rooted in Southern rhythms and perspectives, not because it’s rooted in whiskey, gunplay, facial hair and wide brimmed hats. It’s the sound of our neighbors, our relatives, ours days and our nights. Lyrics namedrop Manteo, Blowing Rock and even Silver Lake. In that friendly, front porch style that’s part of our heritage, they even dub Agent 007 “Jimmy Bond,” which I am certain has never happened in Massachusetts. An ante bellum anecdote tells of a traveler hailing a local on a Southern road and asking, “Where can one find lodgings in this vicinity?” The native’s response, on the afterbeat, is, “Anywhere you want.” That gracious, mellow drawl is the second rhythm line on this record. Some of the songs are about positive experiences, others about Life’s downsides. They all lack anger and dramatic surprise, as if a wise granddaddy told the band what to expect and how to handle it, which is part of the big silver lining around the cloud of poverty, ignorance, alcoholism, violence and heat that centerpieces some people’s attitudes about our region and its music. The greatest criticism I can offer about this release concerns liner notes. When one includes lyrics on three CD panels, type has to be small, but it does not have to be upper case sans serif. The layout is an obstacle between curious listeners and written details about the band’s good work. That’s a small criticism and a small price to pay for such a fine album. By: Shea Carver for Encore Magazine http://www.encorepub.com/ 6/13/03Back Porch Jams on Disc:Mason Smith Band releases first CDAs I returned to the office one sunny afternoon, there was a package waiting on my desk that was so nicely wrapped, it looked like a present. Immediately excited by it, I ripped it open to find even better contents...a cigar box with “Macanudo Hyde Park Cafe” written on its side. It was a beautiful box, in mint condition, that upon first thought, I considered changing into one of those trendy purses that are gaining popularity. Then I realized that it was already a work of art. It was a media kit sent by local musicians the Mason Smith Band, containing their latest release Southern Roads.Now you may think it sounds really silly to get so excited about a media kit, but if you could only see some of the stuff I receive from bands, you would understand why this one was so impressive. It really garnered a second glance, unlike the half-ass kits usually sent in, consisting of a fuzzy photo on regular printer paper, and a CD without its jacket, or any other info on the band for that matter. Needless to say, the presentation of this one definitely enticed me to take an ear to the headphones.To be perfectly honest, what I expected to hear was bluegrass. For some reason the look of the box, it’s paper contents and the CD jacket, which had a rustic, aged feel, made it seem like roots music would be at the forefront. Singer/songwriter Kelly Mason Smith, drummer Ned Lavengood and guitarist Jay Thigpen, in fact, mix such genres in the Americana/Southern Rock/Alternative Country sound of the Mason Smith Band. These guys play music with ease too, and make it seem as effortless as sitting on the back porch sipping a tottie in the heat of the summer. There is charm in their music, as the band evokes that “good ole boy” vibe so many of us are familiar with in the South.When Southern Roads opened with “Home Alone Too,” my first impression was it had all of the elements to become a mainstream country song – strong harmonies, predictable breaks and a solid guitar solo. It would definitely have mass appeal, even to those who aren’t country fanatics.Yet, when the second track began, “Are You Real,” it was a different ball game entirely. The tune was saturated with experimental horns and organs. It was whimsical in its acoustic introduction, and the harmonies ran a bit off the beaten path. There seemed to be more freedom in the song, and the essence of it screamed New Orleans zydeco, blues and jazz. I was sent into a state of perma-grin exile, as the parade-like song made me envision folks marching down the street, arms flailing, hands clapping from the sheer merriment of the music. There’s showy guitarmanship in the midst of it too, but it isn’t arrogant. And, the vocal skats at the end raise the bar even higher on the like-ability scale. It was the most festive track on the compilation.Having been teased by the funk of “N’Owlans”-style beats, I must say when “Make Me Want to Live” began, I wasn’t as affected. It’s not that the song isn’t good, it’s just that it sounds like a Hootie and the Blowfish ballad, and quite frankly, I am just not a Hootie fan.A few more songs into the CD, and I found myself satisfied again, as “She’s Got a New Kick” provided more of those fascinating organ intonations that really add texture to the Mason Smith Band. It’s R&B ladened and even has a taste of reggae spunk. It’s – without sounding kitschy – real groovy; a song that almost made me wanna dance.When “On the Loose” started, I got my original fix for some faster tempos. But, the song wasn’t as low-down country as bluegrass; more like that of a Johnny Cash-meets-Hank Williams Jr. sound. The drum rolls had that popular rolling train melody, like “Folsom Prison Blues,” while the guitar was twangy and the vocals baritone. But, the lyrics embodied the Hank redneck tone that was so prominent in the ‘80s: “Lock up your daughters/I’m on a tear tonight/I’ve been drinkin since a half-past noon/tryin’ to get tight.” Humorous it is, but I was constantly waiting for the music to pack a little more punch than what was given.Ode to the places we are somewhat familar to in North Carolina, “Anywhere We Go From Here” pays homage to areas like Ocracoke and Blowing Rock. That, in itself, makes any Tarheel native feel comforted, as it connects us with those familiar places we have visited throughout our lifetimes. The music in this slower tune is peaceful and placid, mainly because the composed timbres of the violin are so sleepy-eyed and enamoring. The vocals in the song are also alluring, and they run quite parallel to the vocal capacity of Barenaked Ladies’ frontman Steven Page – lilting in perfect succinctness to the music.Much of Southern Roads is just as the CD insinuates: a journey of music that deeply has its feet buried in the South. If one doesn’t care for simple songs with simply complex Americana musicology backing them, then perhaps this isn’t the CD to listen to. But, those who appreciate the holler of the “back porch jams” that obviously these fellas once participated in during childhood, then this CD is all for you. Such jams have become more than just a hazy recollection in the back of the Mason Smith Band’s minds. It’s become the inspiration for a volume of music that can only be played to precision in order to sound good. Like the presentation of their media kit, this local act has accomplished that successfully. Record Review by: Lan Nichols for The Beat--http://www.thebeatmag.com 6/6/03Mason Smith Band--Southern Roads--BMP-02-03Deftly Delivered by the Mason Smith Band, SOUTHERN ROADS is a potent, Americana-soaked cocktail of Steve Earle meets The Mavericks with a twist of Dwight Yoakum (shakin' AND stirred, thank you) and performed with striking originality. Songwriter/guitarist Kelly Smith and drummer Ned Lavengood co-produced this impressive outing that includes Jay Thigpen on guitar, Jim McFadyen on bass, and a talented cast of supporting players who help make SOUTHERN ROADS a true gem amidst our region's eclectic musical landscape. Smith combines his penchant for all things "North Carolina" with a well-honed wit that seems to belie his age, and his talent sows a fertile row of songs that deserve serious listening. Track highlights include "Are You Real" (ska-like horns and sizzling guitar fills), "Anywhere We Want To Be" (an anthem to newfound love in the Old North State), "Golden Ring" (worthy of being covered in any Nashville studio) and "Jimmy Bond" (a tongue-in-cheek ode to 007). MSB delivers each tune with authority, vigor, and a one-two punch of acoustic and electric instrumentation that fires on all cylinders, all the time. Likely one of the finer efforts out of Wilmington's North Star Studio, the band mixed the CD at Audio Genesis with Tommy Brothers. This release is heavy on quality and musicianship, while aptly exploiting the talents of those who serve North Carolina's music industry.The last decade ha seen a lot of recorded music come and go in the Port City, but you better make some room in your CD rack and buy SOUTHERN ROADS while it's still available, cause this one's a keeper.

Location Wilmington, NC - USA

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