Tennessee Trip Inspired New Single from Smith & Burrows

Almost nine years since they first worked together on Funny Looking Angels, old friends Tom Smith and Andy Burrows just released an exuberant new track, “All The Best Moves.” 

Self- recorded during lockdown, the accompanying video features Smith and Burrows in monochrome, dancing to the camera. The video captures Smith’s vision of a character who is “pulling some incredible dance moves but in the solitude of their front room, never actually showing anybody.” 

 “[The song] about wanting to stay in on your own, in your safe world,” says Tom Smith in a press release. “[It’s about being] afraid of what’s outside but conversely being kind of full of yourself but in reality, just a bit sad and lonely.”

The adventure that started nine years ago as Smith and Burrows, two drinking buddies, popped into each other’s houses and home studios, putting down an idea here and a melody there, developed into a set of songs with a Christmas theme, then, following help from their friends on additional instruments and as backing voices, a real album with a raucous tour of Christmas shows in winter of 2012.

“It was always our plan to follow up with an album of entirely original material and one not tied to a particular season!” says Smith. “It’s taken longer than we wanted, but here we are.”

The interim has been anything but idle for the two musicians. With Editors, Smith has had No. 1 albums in Europe. Meanwhile, Burrows has released several solo albums, worked on soundtracks such as The Snowman and The Snowdon, and composed the soundtrack for Ricky Gervais’ critically acclaimed TV show After Life.

Alongside this, the pair have continued their friendship and have been quietly exchanging ideas and spending days in Smith’s home studio when time allowed, developing ideas into songs together. The resulting demos eventually took the duo to Franklin, Tennessee to work with Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, Norah Jones).

“It was fucking hot,” says Smith. “Like crazy hot. We strummed vintage guitars, ate incredible fried chicken and drank whisky we can’t afford. It was a blast.”

“All The Best Moves” is the first music to be released from those sessions.