At Smith’s we love songs, and the songwriters that sing them. We host plenty of bands and we love them too, but every so often we’d like to strip the accompaniment away and hear the songs as they were written – one voice, one instrument, unadorned and vulnerable like a babe in the woods. For this second edition of Six of the Best, we’ve asked four very different song-writers to share six of their best songs with us. In order of appearance, we have...

Simone Penkethman

Described variously as ‘a rock goddess and earth mother’, a ‘songwriter, theatre maker, singer and formidable guitarist’ and ‘a leader and innovator in Canberra's grass-roots arts scene’, Simone has played a significant role in Canberra’s music, theatre and community arts scenes for decades. From booking the bands for the infamous Gypsy Bar to leading her band (Simone and the Soothsayers) at the Phoenix and still writing thoughtful reviews of local theatre, Simone is well on the way to a lifetime award for service to the arts in Canberra.

Ian Paulin

Recently arrived from Tasmania, Ian has joined the local music and poetry scenes and been welcomed as a fellow traveller, a scholar and a gentleman. Artist, activist, researcher, part poet, part pirate, part wizard. ‘I live without fear, live without shame, most of all I deeply live.’ His songs are often observational, wryly humourous and philosophical. Here’s his Soundcloud.

Banipreet

Banipreet is a Sydney bred singer-songwriter. During the day she operates as a full-time primary school teacher, and at night she works on her album. She is currently living full-time in her van, Tracee the Hiacee. Her and T endeavour to go on the road and share the album, a body of work that expresses Banipreet’s truest identity reduced to melody, rhythm, and lyric. You can find her on Instagram and Youtube.

Tom Woodward

Singer-songwriter, amateur marathon runner, Bob Dylan fan, poet, busker… Tom has written hundreds of songs - god knows how he’ll pick the best six. He’s got 34 albums up on his Bandcamp for chrisakes. That and his mad finger-pickin skills are evidence of an obsessive compulsion to write and play songs that hasn’t dimmed with the years. One day soon he’ll be discovered and become an overnight sensation. Check his facebook page here.