Last summer, Daniel Foggin, guitarist, writer, and driving force behind Smote, relocated from Newcastle to a farmhouse in Kelso, near the Scottish border, where much of the band’s fourth album A Grand Stream was conceived and recorded. Inspired by simple yet profound moments of peace—like sitting by a river with drummer Rob after work—Foggin embraced a philosophy of finding joy in what might seem ordinary to others. The record, largely captured in this rural setting, reflects both the tranquility and the raw intensity of the environment, blending drone, repetition, and primal instrumentation into a deeply immersive experience. Despite its pastoral roots, A Grand Stream is perhaps Smote’s darkest, most foreboding work yet, its raw production a deliberate choice that adds to its unrefined, otherworldly atmosphere.
Across its 70-minute runtime, the album pushes Smote’s folk-tinged, ritualistic sound into new, more spectral realms. Tracks like “Coming Out Of A Hedge Backwards” and “Sitting Stone Part 1” channel their trademark ceremonial ambience, while “Chantry” explores meditative drone textures reminiscent of Kali Malone, Earth, and Anna Von Hausswolf. Influenced by artists who fuse traditional and modern instrumentation, Foggin sought to capture heaviness not through massive riffs but through the sheer atmosphere created by violins, organs, guitars, and synths alike. The record culminates in the monumental two-part “The Opinion Of The Lamb,” a nearly half-hour descent that fuses Swans-like intensity with ritualistic psych-drone. With A Grand Stream, Smote transcend psych-rock convention, forging a uniquely haunting sonic territory that is both entrancing and intimidating—an invitation to listeners willing to step into the unknown.
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