Both fresh off flights from their hometowns in Australia (Sydney and Bryon Bay respectively) the pair had serendipitously moved to Berlin one week apart. Their first meeting (orchestrated through a mutual friend via Facebook), quickly turned into friendship, and a month later they were sharing a flat together, 30 metres from the station where they first met. Their first Berlin summer passed in a haze of general debauchery in the city’s finest clubs, melded with tentative attempts at music production. Both having moved to Europe to pursue a career in music, their relationship developed into something more. Seven years later they are happily married.

In those early days, Saxon honed his craft as a songwriter, writing and re-writing, jamming with friends, and eventually forming a band. For the best part of their mid twenties this band became the most important thing in their lives. Rachel initially managed the group, but soon was also enlisted on bass guitar, she is now one of the most sought-after session players in the Berlin indie scene. The 5-piece band quickly rose to prominence in the city, with hyped showcases and music industry buzz. They firmly established themselves as one to watch. However, like so many other bands who were destined to break in 2020, COVID-19 had other plans. Challenges arising from the pandemic led to the fracture and ultimately disintegration of the project, 4 years in, just as things were starting to finally happen.

The burnout and pain caused by the dissolution of the project, the waste of time and creative energy left Saxon swearing he would never play again. Feeling completely drained of his creative output he retreated from the music scene and channelled his energy into other pursuits. However, under the gradual encouragement of Rachel, he began to experiment with his voice. He had always been self-conscious, and avoided singing solo in public, but slowly his confidence grew. Taking inspiration from the vocal stylings of Barry Gibb and Justin Vernon, and the structures of the first wave of the British invasion, together they began to hone a new approach. Saxon would create an initial sketch, a guitar part or melody, and bring it to Rachel who would dissect, edit, and re-arrange it. Finding the magic in the rough, together they would shape it into a song. What started out as cathartic tinkering turned into daily writing, and the blueprint of a new project started to form.

Baby Smith is a band built around the intimately connected creative tissue shared between husband and wife. With no room for compromise they have created a meticulous and unflinching sonic and aesthetic vision. Inspired by years spent living in East Berlin, visually they have drawn from the last remnants of the architecture of the former DDR. The recordings are informed by the stark and utilitarian production techniques employed by Bowie and Iggy Pop in the late 70’s, with a dash of the Aussie charm of Dope Lemon and Julia Jacklin. Their records are a refreshing breath of fresh air. Their magpie approach to songwriting and recording, alongside years of experience performing live makes them a venerable force. You must hear their music.