"they don't play with sharp sticks"
Amos the Kid, aka Winnipeg's Amos Nadlersmith, has been an on again off again part of the music scene. On when, the prolific songwriter is on stage and off again when he disappears into the woods for sometimes long stretches of time. At least that is what they tell me. Listening to his latest offering, the curiously intriguing Jesus Cocaine Ketamine Christ (which really does roll trippingly from the tongue), one thing is abundantly clear, Nadlersmith is a born storyteller and what feels like a rogue street poet. The tale he tells whether made up or forged from real experiences (I suspect the latter) pull you in. That tug on your ear or collar when you listen has a lot to do with the song itself which feels part indie rock and part busker folk. The lo-fi washed out tones and drum machine give it a sort of street post punk feel as well (like if Lou Reed wasn't on downers) but the thing that is truly alluring is Nadlersmith's vocal aesthetic which feels so homey in a porch country way. Johnny Cash and Cracker come to mind. He's alright.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Amos the Kid is the stage moniker of Winnipeg's Amos Nadlersmith. Nadlersmith has long been an enigmatic curiosity of the Winnipeg scene. For a time, the prolific songwriter seems to be anywhere and everywhere; then, you couldn’t find him if you went looking. His presence on a stage has been solitary, charming, sly, and brilliant. When it was anything at all.
“He’s elusive,” says House of Wonders label head Adam Fuhr. “Amos kind of leads a dual life. Even though he has this huge talent for making music, he also has all these odd jobs working out in the woods, so sometimes he just disappears.”
When he was active, however, he made music that was “simple and beautiful” (Stylus Magazine). He was known for his uncluttered turn of phrase and haunting melodies; he had a way, as the best do, of making a voice and a guitar seem new again. All before his 24th birthday.
Thus it puzzled audiences that after a half dozen years as the perennial underdog favourite, possessing a trove of unpolished gems, Amos the Kid had never released any music besides a few iPhone memos and a 2016 single that somehow felt half-baked.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Nadlersmith finally decided to act. He enlisted friends from some of Winnipeg’s most established indie acts - Living Hour, Yes We Mystic, Palm Trees, and Merin - and created “Mountain View”, a lush and inventive re-imagining of a handful of his oldest songs. The EP was produced by Fuhr, and mastered by Cam Loeppky (The Weakerthans, Cannon Bros). It comes out April 3 on House of Wonders Records.
“I’ve been writing songs for a long time and keeping them all to myself,” says Nadlersmith. “ The EP is a collection of music that feels somewhat nostalgic to me. Back home kinda songs, nonlinear memories over a wide timeline in my life. I’m excited to finally put something out there, especially with such good talented friends.”
Expect much more from Nadlersmith, says Fuhr. “The surprising thing about this EP is that as great as these songs are, they’re really just the first five he picked off the top of his head. Some of the best is yet to come.”
“He’s elusive,” says House of Wonders label head Adam Fuhr. “Amos kind of leads a dual life. Even though he has this huge talent for making music, he also has all these odd jobs working out in the woods, so sometimes he just disappears.”
When he was active, however, he made music that was “simple and beautiful” (Stylus Magazine). He was known for his uncluttered turn of phrase and haunting melodies; he had a way, as the best do, of making a voice and a guitar seem new again. All before his 24th birthday.
Thus it puzzled audiences that after a half dozen years as the perennial underdog favourite, possessing a trove of unpolished gems, Amos the Kid had never released any music besides a few iPhone memos and a 2016 single that somehow felt half-baked.
It wasn’t until 2019 that Nadlersmith finally decided to act. He enlisted friends from some of Winnipeg’s most established indie acts - Living Hour, Yes We Mystic, Palm Trees, and Merin - and created “Mountain View”, a lush and inventive re-imagining of a handful of his oldest songs. The EP was produced by Fuhr, and mastered by Cam Loeppky (The Weakerthans, Cannon Bros). It comes out April 3 on House of Wonders Records.
“I’ve been writing songs for a long time and keeping them all to myself,” says Nadlersmith. “ The EP is a collection of music that feels somewhat nostalgic to me. Back home kinda songs, nonlinear memories over a wide timeline in my life. I’m excited to finally put something out there, especially with such good talented friends.”
Expect much more from Nadlersmith, says Fuhr. “The surprising thing about this EP is that as great as these songs are, they’re really just the first five he picked off the top of his head. Some of the best is yet to come.”
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