I play music and drink black coffee and rarely remember to buy anyone a birthday card.

Music full of contrasts: folk viewed through a rock lens, classic rock with celtic goggles on, original material full of lyrical lines and infectious driving rhythms. It’s evident from watching Whalebone’s exuberant performances that their music is hugely enjoyable to play as well as to listen to. These are skilled musicians who are in deadly earnest about their craft, but having an enormous amount of fun at the same time.

“..delightfully and defiantly guilty of trespass across musical borders…bold, brave, sly and lots and lots of fun” (Instrumentali Musicali, July 2013)

“..instrumental music of high sophistication…skilled musicians and imaginative arrangers” (Living Tradition, September 2013)

“..can be enjoyed by non folkies who can quite easily pass it off as classic rock and there are enough folk elements to keep the best finger in the ear traditionalist happy too” (Folkall, August 2013)

I'm gonna use soundcloud to upload new tracks I'm trying to figure out and maybe get some feedback from you fine folks.

For more music, check out www.reverbnation.com/skellytown 
I have a full length album up over the there called Pop 666. Check it out if you like what you hear.

Toby-guitar, voice
Maks-bass, voice
Cip-drums, voice, synth

Smiling Riley comprise Rachel Thompson, Adam Taylor and Francis Tucker. And they play folk. Rachel grew up in Liverpool and her life in music was laid out in front of her when she saw the ghost of Elvis singing in her cereal one morning. She’s never eaten cheerios since. Adam learned his craft in the Highlands of Scotland, driven on by shortbread and a distaste for the sun. Age-old friends, yet sworn enemies, Rachel and Adam joined forces under the dawning realisation their music could be a force in the world. Good or evil it is possibly still too early to find out. In need of a stabilising element but unable to find one, Francis Tucker was dragged into the SR family. This midlands gypsy was brought into the world playing a tambourine and it is said he once laid down a click track that, to this day, we still call “seconds”.

Hello. We are Smiling Riley.


Velvet Underground meets Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, Rowland S. Howard, Elliott Smith and Sonic Youth.

one kid. one guitar. this is gonna suck, isnt it.

inspired by:
ajj
decemberists
nmh
[another mainstream band]

James Saunders is following