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 ninth edition of Six of the Best, we have once again asked four very different song-writers to share six of their best songs with us. In order of appearance, we have…

Sophie Edwards is a performer, songwriter, producer, and dynamic creative person with a passion for crafting engaging music for her listeners. Taking inspiration from incredible Australian artists that she grew up with, Sophie writes music that is unapologetic and fierce

Alaric’s songs are in turns comedic and lyrical, exploring the natural world and the social disorder, from tyranny to the life cycle of bees (Alaric is also a beekeeper and takes honey orders). His poet sensibilities keep a focus on the lyric, while weaving in a musical thread that is inspired by other poet-songsmiths such as Dylan, Elliott Smith, Bill Callahan, Nick Drake, and of course, Leonard Cohen.

Rhi Gold is a local indie pop artist from Canberra. She uses a unique blend of heartfelt lyrics and catchy melodies to captivate listeners through storytelling and over-sharing.

Jeffrrey Charles is better known in the local comedy scene, MC’ing, mocking his banal white middleclass existence and the teaching career that sustains it, and banging out, in near-perfect 80’s metal vocal stylings and three string guitar riffs, odd little ditties about compost, bamboo and house renovations.