Smith & Thell
High-energy folk-pop with soaring harmonies and rhythmic stomp. It is the sound of resilience, big emotions, and the kind of hooks that demand a singalong.
High-energy folk-pop with soaring harmonies and rhythmic stomp. It is the sound of resilience, big emotions, and the kind of hooks that demand a singalong.
Smith & Thell create music that feels like a sudden burst of sunlight through a heavy cloud layer. Their sound is rooted in the organic warmth of acoustic guitars and banjos, but it is supercharged by a modern pop sensibility that aims for the rafters. It is music built on the 'stomp and holler' tradition, yet refined with the surgical melodic precision that Swedish pop is world-famous for. Every track feels like an invitation to join a communal moment of catharsis.
What truly sets them apart is the vocal chemistry between Maria Jane Smith and Victor Thell. Their harmonies are not just background texture; they are the primary engine of the songs, often interlocking in complex, rhythmic patterns that feel both ancient and contemporary. They have a unique ability to take heavy, pitch-black emotional themes - grief, breakups, and existential dread - and transform them into anthems of defiant joy and survival.
Start with 'Forgive Me Friend' to hear their signature blend of folk instrumentation and infectious rhythm, then move to 'Goliath' for a masterclass in the slow-build anthem. If you want to hear their raw emotional core, the 'Acoustic in Isby' sessions reveal the songwriting strength that exists even when the big production is stripped away.
Smith & Thell are a pop/folk band based in Stockholm, Sweden. The duo, composed of Maria Jane Smith (vocals, guitar) and Victor Thell (vocals, guitar, production), first met one another as young teenagers at a local music event in their hometown of Helsingborg in Southern Sweden. Their debut album Soulprints was released in April 2017 via the Nordic indie label Playground Music. The follow-up international hit single, "Forgive Me Friend", came in November 2018, and led the band to signing its first major label deal with the storied American label, Arista Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Smith & Thell's sophomore album, "Pixie's Parasol" came via Arista Recordings in 2021, and featured the hits "Forgive Me Friend", "Hotel Walls", "Year of the Young", and "Goliath". The duo went on to perform on stages across the world with other artists, including The Head and the Heart, Young the Giant, and Fitz and The Tantrums. Smith & Thell won the Internationalen Songwriting-Wettbewerbs (ISC) with their song "Goliath" in 2021.
Shares maximalist, studio polished, layered dense (production style); harmonized, belting, vocal layering (vocal style)
Shares indie folk, chamber pop (subgenres); harmonized, belting, vocal layering (vocal style)
Shares maximalist, studio polished, layered dense (production style); harmonized, belting, vocal layering (vocal style)
Shares indie folk, chamber pop (subgenres); studio polished, layered dense, hand played (production style)
Shares studio polished, layered dense, hand played (production style); bonfire, festival, road trip (atmosphere)
Shares indie folk, chamber pop (subgenres); harmonized, belting, vocal layering (vocal style)
Shares harmonized, belting, vocal layering (vocal style); studio polished, layered dense, hand played (production style)
Shares open field, hand played, indie folk, bonfire (atmosphere)
Shares stomp-and-clap percussion, banjo, open field, hand played (detail)
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