“A must-listen for anyone who likes metaphor-laden, honest lyricism and catchy indie rock music..”
— Music is My Muse
OUT NOW
THE GREAT &
THE TERRIBLE
Cedarsmoke is the indie-folk-rock project of Brisbane-based singer-songwriter, Jon Cloumassis.
Since first releasing music in 2016, Cedarsmoke have produced 4 EPs and 2 full-length albums: 2021’s
‘Into The Wild World’ and 2023’s ‘The Great and the Terrible’.
With a lyric-centred approach to songwriting, Cedarsmoke create literary and narrative-driven songs, reminiscent of artists such as Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Augie March and Bright Eyes.
Featuring a diverse cast of characters and bittersweet stories, Cedarsmoke weave an intricate tapestry on their albums where themes and characters are threaded throughout. Revolving around pianos and acoustic guitars, Cedarsmoke’s songs are roots-influenced while featuring a variety of ballads, rockers and pop tunes.
LATEST PRESS
NEW RELEASE More Great & More Terrible
27 OCTOBER 2023
The release features two songs recorded @incrementalrecords with our July album ‘The Great & Terrible’ that were stowed away for this momentous occasion!
Tracklist:
1. Maybe We’re Getting Old
2. Nothing At All
THE SONGWRITING PRIZE: CEDARSMOKE MAKE SEMI FINALS
6 OCTOBER 2023
The Songwriting Prize, now in its 8th Year of operation, is the competition from award-winning mental health music charity, Listen Up Music, that cultivates a supportive community for songwriters to share their stories on mental health.
The Songwriting Prize will build on Semi Final events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane last year by bringing back those events and expanding to three new events, in the Gold Coast, Wagga Wagga and to Newcastle.
Songwriters have been asked to submit original works that adhere to the competition’s theme each year, with this year’s theme being “Belonging”. At this event, the Brisbane Semi Final, you will hear the best songs from the region being performed live accompanied by the stories that shaped them. A live panel of industry judges will share their feedback and the Top 2 will go forward to the Grand Final later in the year.
A QUICK CHAT WITH CEDARSMOKE
15 APRIL 2023
Brisbane-based band Cedarsmoke released a new track called 'Go Easy' on March 31. The song is a folk-rock ballad with a literary twist, featuring the narrative-driven lyrical style of singer-songwriter Jon Cloumassis. Each verse of the song explores a familiar literary character facing a seemingly impossible challenge, woven together by a common thread and a touch of humour.
The chorus encourages listeners to be gentle with themselves and others and showcases Cloumassis' distinctive vocals and charming metaphors, drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Augie March. We caught up with Cloumassis to find out more about the track, his influences and more.
PREMIERE: CEDARSMOKE
GO EASY
29 MARCH 2023
After receiving widespread praise for their 2021 debut album Into The Wild World, Meanjin/Brisbane-based Cedarsmoke are back with a new single and timely message, with Go Easy premiering on Pilerats today ahead of its March 31 release.
Go Easy sees the band expand on their storytelling style, with frontman Jon Cloumassis vocals detailing tales of facing and overcoming challenges that see intertwining stories between each verse with subtle wit and a dash of humour.
Take some time to Go Easy today as Cedarsmoke’s new single premieres on Pilerats!
THE AB INDEPENDENT TOP 20
FRIDAY 12 AUGUST 2022
Week 94 of the underground music chart from Aldora Britain Records. All authentic, grassroots and independent. Placings are based on the most streamed songs on our Bandcamp page in the last 30 days.
Cedarsmoke take the Number 1 spot this week, and Rascallionsband and NI/NA enter the Top 4. We also have brand new entries from Stormtroopers of Love, The fundaMentals, aubin pi la scb, Charles Jenkins, Graham Hamilton, Falsetto Boy (Snappy Little Numbers), and Patrick Bourdon.
ALDORA BRITAIN RECORDS
FRIDAY 22 JULY 2022
Aldora Britain Records proudly presents Rock & Roll's Different Shapes & Sizes, an eclectic collection of 25 independent and underground songs from all around the globe. The collection is dedicated to the bass player of the Happy Mondays, Paul Ryder, who passed away in the last week. Our thoughts are with his friends, family and bandmates.
Amongst the selections this week are our good friends The Aim, British garage indie at its finest. We also see the return of the locomotive traditional folk of Graham Hamilton, and the worldly funk-inclined synthpop of Vitaphone. Reglar-Daddy feature again, this time with the COVID-themed outlaw country of Herman Gauche, and Snappy Little Numbers provide the jangly indie pop of Falsetto Boy.
THE EMERGE AWARDS
MONDAY 27 DECEMBER 2021
Brisbane quintet Cedarsmoke have been busy since their debut in 2016. Four EPs in, including last year's great 'Everything Is The Worst', they have shown no sign of slowing down.
With each EP, the promising band showed vast improvement from performances to the songwriting.
In October of 2021, the band released their debut full length 'Into The Wild World'. A record that continues the band's desire to keep moving forward and expanding their craft. One of my favourite aspects of their music are the lyrics from songwriter Jon Cloumassis.
What sets his writing apart and makes it special for me is the contrast shown throughout. Sharp, witty lyrics that at times are touching, bitter-sweet, sad and funny. Sometimes all in the same song. The tales Cloumassis writes are vivid, imaginative and the choice of words are consistently sublime.
The lyrics of 'Into The Wild World' are an absolute joy to read along while listening to the album. The songwriting is versatile, smart and creative. 13 impeccably written tunes. What an album.
Long story short, Jon Cloumassis is my Songwriter of the Year for 2021. I emplore you to explore the special music of Cedarsmoke.
THE EMERGE AWARDS
FRIDAY 24 DECEMBER 2021
After hearing Cedarsmoke's 2020 EP 'Everything Is The Worst', I quickly became an avid fan. I then caught up on their treasure trove of great tracks in their discography. When I saw the quiet announcement of the band’s debut album in an interview, fair to say, I was well and truly thrilled.
After listening through the band’s EPs it was clear they’ve always had a knack for writing captivating and nostalgic rock with their own spin. With each subsequent release, the band grew and improved, hence my excitement for the band’s first album. ‘Into The Wild World’ lives up to my weighty expectations, and then some. 13 tracks, 54 minutes. Significantly longer than the majority of debuts, but I’m guessing you’ve seen this post’s accompanying photo already, so you know it worked out. 54 minutes and not a second wasted.
It’s an album that’s easy to relate to, a record that deals with the good and bad of growing up in this world. A versatile and wholly impressive debut that is easy to get into and a reward to revisit. Cedarsmoke’s debut LP ‘Into The Wild World’ is my Album of the Year.
Emerge: TRACK by TRACK CEDARSMOKE INTO THE WILD WORLD
TUESDAY 26 OCTOBER 2021
There's not much I love more than recording Track by Tracks, our latest feels especially special to me. In a first for the show, an artist returns for their second Track by Track! Jon from Cedarsmoke joined me last year to talk through their fourth EP 'Everything Is The Worst', an absolute favourite of mine.
The moment I saw the news that my absolute favourites Cedarsmoke had announced their debut album, I was back in Jon's dms organising our sophomore Track by Track. Jon also graced me with an early listen of the album (which officially released this past Friday).
Every day this past month I have listened to this album in its entirety at least once (more often than not, it was two to three times). Which says a lot considering the album is 13 tracks and has a run-time of 54 minutes. In that time, 6 minutes short of an hour, not a single second is wasted.
Premiere: Stream Cedarsmoke's New Single 'Sadly Ever After'
THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2021
Like a slice of Springsteen AM radio rock married to the slacker indie rock of '90s college radio (think Pavement meets Guided By Voices with a slice of Dinosaur Jr., Cedarsmoke's newest single is 'Sadly Ever After'.
Once more keeping it real with the stinging honesty of their lyrics, 'Sadly Ever After' finds the Brisbane-based five-piece examining the sobering reality that the good stuff in life never lasts forever and it's best to keep your head out of the clouds.
"'Sadly Ever After' is a love song with a happily ever after ending that's skewed more in the way of reality than fairytale," frontman and songwriter Jon Cloumassis says.
🎥 ANYTHING Music video filmed and directed by Flynn Clarkson.
***MILKY BLOG - NEW SINGLE RELEASE PREMIERE - FRIDAY 12TH MARCH 2021
Bringing their fusion of punk and alt-rock to the track, Being Young Is Getting Old navigates the differing views of what it means to be youthful in your twenties, walking the line between holding on to teenage qualities and progressing into adulthood. Built upon a 12-string acoustic guitar line, frontman Jon Cloumassis' vocals take centre stage, captivating listeners with his distinctive raspy vocals. The track is made complete with cascading synths, electric guitar and mellotron, with the songs upbeat chorus juxtaposing the pulled back verses and melancholic lyricism…
‘Everything Is The Worst’
March 2020 EP release
“If you were to put together Dylan and The Boss in a songwriting, performance partnership, that’d be a heartland rock appreciater’s holy grail, right? Be careful, you might get what you wish for and your mileage may vary. Brisbane band Cedarsmoke have continued their prolific run of EP releases and on their latest, Everything Is The Worst, although I would never quite have described them that way before, it’s pretty easy to right now…”
- Chris Cobcroft
4ZZZ Radio
CEDARSMOKE T-SHIRT $30 AUD