The Smith & Western Jury is an alt-country duo from Melbourne with members Sam Lombardi and Simon Torcasio. They formed in 2018 and since then have been releasing singles, and are now releasing their impressive debut album, Hotel Texas.

Lombardi and Torcasio after years of playing in different bands – Lombardi in pop rock groups and Torcasio in punk bands. After being inspired by a country covers band they saw perform, they decided to combine their talents and form The Smith & Western Jury.

They began writing a number of songs together – especially when Melbourne’s rolling lockdowns meant there was not much else they could do apart from write songs – and ultimately decided to properly launch their band and record their debut EP. However, soon afterwards, Lombardi began suffering from debilitating vestibular migraines that caused vertigo, dizziness and other symptoms which made performing very difficult.

The condition does not resolve over time, so Lombardi made the decision to persevere, travelling with Torcasio to, appropriately, Texas to record Hotel Texas, an accomplished, rich and rewarding collection of songs. Although they have enough songs to make several more albums, as I discovered when we spoke.

For more on The Smith & Western Jury: https://thesmithandwesternjury.com/home

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