Gonzalez Smith is the new musical project from singer-songwriter and Drive-By Truckers multi-instrumentalist, Jay Gonzalez, and comedy writer Pete Smith (Space Ghost Coast To Coast, The Brak Show). They have shared their latest single, “The Lexington Line,” available everywhere now.
The symphonic pop track features strings arranged by Athens, GA musician Brent Cash and heralds the duo’s debut album, Roll Up A Song, arriving via Bobo Integral in conjunction with Gonzalez’s own Middlebrow Records on Friday, December 1st, 2023.
Pete Smith says:
This lyric is based on something real that happened to me, long ago. A fleeting glance at a girl on a train fostered a belief that this was the one. The one for me. Then, she exited the train and my life. I feel bad for the guy in the song. He’s still riding that train, hoping to see that girl again. But I’ve moved on for the better.
Jay Gonzales adds:
While most songs Pete and I have written start off with the lyrics, this was the rare case of an instrumental track I had that Pete wrote those wistful words to, perfectly matching the mood of the music. I immediately thought this song needed strings and asked my friend Brent Cash if he’d consider doing the arrangement. He’s one of the last of the classic pop arrangers in the vein of Jack Nitzsche, Van Dyke Parks, Brian Wilson, and former Pete Smith collaborator Gary McFarland. His soaring strings really capture the longing for that fleeting moment on the train.
Roll Up A Song blends Power Pop, piano ballads, bossa nova, and more. The album was first heralded with the single “She’s My Girl,” joined by an official music video directed by Gonzalez’s longtime visual collaborator John Britt.
