Kendra Smith
| Kendra Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1960 |
| Genres | Alternative music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Pump Organ, Guitar, Bass |
| Years active | 1979–1995 |
| Labels | 4AD |
| Associated acts |
Dream Syndicate Rainy Day Opal Mazzy Star |
Kendra Louise Smith (born March 14, 1960)[1] is an American musician who was a founding member of Dream Syndicate, a member of Opal, and later recorded as a solo artist.
Biography
After one privately pressed release with Suspects in 1979, Smith formed The Dream Syndicate in 1981 with Steve Wynn, and went on to record an EP and an album as bassist with the group before leaving in 1983 to join former Rain Parade guitarist David Roback in Rainy Day (she had worked with Roback before, providing backing vocals on the Rain Parade album Emergency Third Rail Power Trip).[1]
Rainy Day released an album and a single in 1984 before Roback and Smith became a duo in the psychedelic-tinged band Opal.[2][3]
Opal only released one record before they split up, the Northern Line EP, but recorded enough material for two compilation albums, Happy Nightmare Baby and Early Recordings.[4] Smith left Opal during the band's final tour and was replaced by Hope Sandoval, with Opal changing its name to Mazzy Star after the tour.[3]
Smith formed a new band, The Guild of Temporal Adventurers, with Jonah Corey and A. Philip Uberman,[5] who released an eponymous mini-LP in 1992, with Smith playing the pump organ, but her next release would not be until 1995 when her solo debut, Five Ways of Disappearing was issued on the 4AD label, and was described by Trouser Press as "an impressive — and colorful — achievement".[3][6]
Not much is known about her after the solo album came out except according to 4AD she had moved to the woods of Northern California in the early 1990s, living in a small cabin with no electricity, and returned there after making two appearances to promote the album.[7]
Discography
With Suspects
- "Talking Loud" 7" (1979)
With The Dream Syndicate
- The Dream Syndicate mini-LP (1982) Down There (UK Indie #25)[8]
- The Days of Wine and Roses (1983) Ruby/Rough Trade (UK Indie #7)[8]
- "Tell Me When It's Over" 12" EP (1983) Rough Trade (UK Indie #11)[8]
With Clay Allison
- "Fell From the Sun" 7" (1984) Serpent
Kendra Smith and David Roback and Keith Mitchell
With Rainy Day
With Opal
- "Northern Line" 12" EP (1986) One Big Guitar (UK Indie #17)[8]
- Happy Nightmare Baby (1987) SST
- Early Recordings (1989) Serpent/Rough Trade
With The Guild of Temporal Adventurers
- Kendra Smith Presents the Guild of Temporal Adventurers mini-LP (1992) Fiasco
Solo
- "Valley Of The Morning Sun" (1992) Warner Bros. (promo only)
- The Guild of Temporal Adventurers (1992) Fiasco
- Five Ways of Disappearing (1995) 4AD
External links
- Kendra Smith at discogs.com
References
- 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0
- ↑ Cromelin, Richard (9 June 1990). "Mazzy Star Debut a Fine Fix of Velvet Blues". Los Angeles Times. p. 9.
- 1 2 3 Phares, Heather "Kendra Smith Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ↑ Strong, Martin C. (1999) The Great Alternative & Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 0-86241-913-1
- ↑ Ankeny, Jason "The Guild of Temporal Adventurers Review", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
- ↑ Schoemer, Karen & Robbins, Ira "Kendra Smith", Trouser Press
- ↑ "Kendra Smith" at 4AD
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980-1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4