Caroline Smith began her solo music career back in 2006 at the age of 18. She managed to get a residency at Minneapolis’ 400 Bar, a venue which had featured the likes of Elliott Smith, Conor Oberst, and local artist, Mason Jennings, who also had a residency there. In 2007 she befriended the members of her current band to form Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps. The band consists of Arlen Peiffer (drummer), Jesse Schuster (bassist) and David Earl (pianist). They released their debut Backyard Tent Set in 2008.
It was a through her duet with bassist Jesse Schuster on the album Live At The Cedar that we first heard her. The live set was stripped down and had a folkier sound and feel but still maintained the power and attraction of simple chord structures, hook laden melodies and unique vocal delivery. The album was released as a limited edtion and managed to sell out in just six months.
Their latest release, Little Wind offers a shift and expansion of their sound which is most evident on the album opener ‘Tanktop’ with its subtle guitar distorton and overall more indie rock leaning. By the next track “;;;” you begin to appreciate that despite the larger sound the simplicity of their earlier work is still fundamentally at the core of their sound. They haven’t abandoned anything, the layers they have added are still sensitive to those delicate indie folk twists…just a little wind of change…if you love Alessi’s Ark then you’ll love Caroline Smith and The Good Night Sleeps