Smilo & the Ghost Heating Up for Album Release

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Local musicians Smilo & the Ghost are set to release their third full-length album, the creation of which was funded by fans of the band. A release show with special guest Josh Travis will be taking place at 10/20 Collective this month

SATURDAY, APR. 13

One of Erie's best-loved bands is gearing up for the release of their third full-length album, and they have a lot of people to thank for it. Smilo & the Ghost, led by the prolific songwriter Tyler Smilo (40 Under 40 Class of 2023) are set to release Twang & Fire on Saturday, April 13 at the 10/20 Collective.

This one is a special one. In 2023, the band launched an IndieGogo campaign to fund the album's recording (with the album's original and less snappy title of Hope & Hurt in the headline). Over 100 people contributed to the cause, inspired by perks like Smilo's handwritten lyrics, private concerts with the band, cds, and in a Smilo-first, a soon-to-arrive vinyl pressing. "With your help we can create the best album possible" reads the first paragraph of their campaign page.

The band ended up breaking their $12,000 goal by over $2,000.

"This is the first time we ever immersed ourselves in the recording process," Smilo noted. "Before, we would go up for a day or get a 48-hour block and get a hotel or something. But this time we spent an entire week there, just kind of writing as we went. There were some songs that have been staples in the set for a while and we wanted really, really good recordings of them." That place was Suma Recording Studio in Painesville, Ohio with engineer David Alan Shaw. The nearby studio has worked with artists ranging from Fleetwood Mac and B.B. King, Brian Wilson, Yes, and the Black Keys. Now, Smilo & the Ghost is on that client list as well.

Songs for the album were written with the full band in mind and others have evolved through Smilo's solo work. Lately he's been packing houses with his "storytelling" style shows throughout the region, including one in his hometown of Coshocton, Ohio, sharing his personal struggles with drug addiction. He's also been playing at treatment centers throughout the area, and is actively applying for grants to do so even more.

Opening the show will be Josh Travis, who released his full-band debut album Few of Days & Full of Trouble in September of last year. A perfect pairing of Americana, folk, and alternative country, this is shockingly the first time the two will play together.

"We're just really excited," Smilo admitted. "We're extremely grateful, we could have never afforded the level we were recording at, with that amount of time, without everybody's contributions." He added that the band is excited to get each and every one of the contributors' perks to them. "We're excited and we want to keep this thing growing in 2024."

7 p.m. // 10/20 Collective, 1020 Holland St. // $20 // For tickets and info: smiloandtheghost.com