Like all great bands that push into new territory and evolve their sound, Left Hand Smoke has shown that they can embrace their past, while celebrating what will surely be a bright future.
After early critical acclaim and ensuing relentless roadwork with their high-energy, rootsy show, the band continues to forge new musical grounds with a line-up change and a more mature, concise approach to song-writing, one brimming with catchy melodies and well-crafted hooks.
The new record, At the Hotel, features brilliant lyrical play and whimsical storytelling from lead singer Ben Mish, while older brother Will Mish’s guitar work continues to be the beacon of hope for the rebirth of the classic guitar hero.
The band has shared the stage with Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw, The North Mississippi All-Stars, and members of Pearl Jam. Recently the band earned the 2005 Seattle Weekly Award for the Best Pop/Rock Band in Seattle.
Left Hand Smoke Biography
Fronted by brothers Ben Mish, a piano phenom with a blue-eyed soul voice and a raucous attitude, and Will Mish, a guitar wizard who has earned critical nods for his unfathomable talent and innate sense of melody and blues, and flanked by Irish-born multi-talented rhythm guitarist Ronan O'Mahony, a childhood friend and co-songwriter, and the inimitable stick-man Andrew Cloutier on drums, Left Hand Smoke brews up a blend of neo-soul and rock that is steeped in tradition, yet entirely original and fresh.
Left Hand Smoke's self-titled debut took the West Coast by surprise, earning rave reviews in publications like LA's Radio & Record, and newspapers around the coast. Immediately, things began to happen for the band. Within months of the album's release, four songs off Left Hand Smoke were licensed for network television, one of them, Blues Eyes Shining, eventually ending up on the hit show ER. The song Step Outside (featuring Death Cab for Cutie's Jason McGerr on drums) garnered major airplay from Seattles AAA format KMTT 103.7 FM The Mountain, vaulting the band from club act to headliner in major performance venues. The album went on to receive many gold stars: album of the year in West Coast Performer Magazine, Top 10 in the Amazon.com rock charts, and the single Step Outside was a top 10 request for 103.7 FM (a live version of the song was featured on the stations popular On the Mountain 6 compilation alongside Tom Waits, Counting Crows, David Gray, and others). Capitalizing on this momentum, the band hit the road, building a loyal following with its now-renowned live show.
Since the release of their third record in 2003, LHS has continued to collect accolades: they headlined the Backyard Stage at Seattles famous Bumbershoot Festival in September 2004; opened for Maroon 5 in arenas during their Northwest leg of the national John Mayer/Maroon 5 tour; Ben Mish opened for Gavin DeGraw during his 2005 tour; the band played with Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam during a benefit show in Seattle in May 2004; on a repeat bill the following year, Mike McCready joined LHS on stage for a cover of Sympathy for the Devil by the Rolling Stones; the LHS song Down the Road was licensed by Pangolin Pictures for use on the Discovery Channel; and most recently, the band was voted Seattles Best Pop/Rock Band of 2005 by readers of the Seattle Weekly.
In 2006, Left Hand Smoke has finally brought all of this experience together and put out a startling record that was largely culled from the demos of songs that Ben Mish had written since his days in New York and the inception of the band. Working with Producer/Engineer Stevie Adamek (The Allies, The Believers), the band embraced a new direction, pushing themselves to explore new musical territory. The resulting album, At the Hotel, combines catchy hooks and soulful melodies with the crushing rock and roll for which LHS has become known. Mastered by Mark Guenther (The Refreshments), At the Hotel is a fresh sound from a band that has shown their ability to expand in new directions while remaining true to their musical roots.