Having announced it last Friday, Kim Salmon’s latest new outfit Smoked Salmon have today released “Hell in a Handbasket”, the second single from their forthcoming debut album, which they are formally announcing today as well. The new single will be launched tomorrow night at the Evelyn in a joint single launch with labelmates the Meanies, who are launching their own new single “Zamboni”.
Smoked Salmon’s debut album, which is self-titled, will be released on February 28, 2025, and will comprise a selection of new material that sits seamlessly alongside ‘the old stuff you love’ (ie The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon & The Surrealists and Antenna), all lovingly performed by an international cast. Stay tuned for further information.
Medieval depictions of Hell seem appropriate for a Dark Ages demographic. You know?! One informed by ignorance, superstition, greed, vindictiveness, cruelty. All the medieval stuff!
Well, waddya know!?
“Hell in a Handbasket” might’ve come to Kim Salmon in a burst last year but it’d been brewing since Brexit. His bleak appraisal of current world events is straight outta Bosch!
On this second single from the forthcoming Smoked Salmon album, French rhythm section and vocalists Delphine Ciampi and Dimi Dero team up with Salmon to deliver this blistering descent into hell. Recorded on tour in Perpignan, France by Sylvain Philipon, “Hell in a Handbasket” features all original artwork from Kim Salmon. The B-Side is “These Grooves are Haunted”, a maniacal slice of stomping glam rock performed by the Smoked Salmon Melbourne Chapter and recorded by Henry Hugo.
Smoked Salmon’s new single “Hell in a Handbasket”/”These Grooves Are Haunted” is
available now digitally and on four limited edition 7″ vinyl colour variants:
50 x recycled green
50 x recycled red
100 x opaque red
100 x black
ORDER NOW FROM kimsalmon.bandcamp.com/album/hell-in-a-handbasket
Smoked Salmon will launch single #2 “Hell in a Handbasket” on Saturday November 30 at the Evelyn,
in a joint single release with the Meanies, who are launching their new single “Zamboni”.
Following the Melbourne launch, Smoked Salmon will undertake a mini-tour
taking in Brisbane, Woy Woy, Sydney, Newcastle, Melbourne and Castlemaine.
SMOKED SALMON 7″ #2 LAUNCH TOUR!
Dec 17 – Crowbar, Brisbane (with Tumbleweed) – Tix
Dec 20 – Link & Pin, Woy Woy
Dec 21 – Crowbar, Sydney (with Tumbleweed) – Tix
Dec 22 – The Oak, Tighes Hill, Newcastle
Jan 11 – Brunswick Ballroom (with Tumbleweed) – Tix
Jan 24 – Royal Theatre, Castlemaine (with The Hard Quartet) – Tix
SMOKED SALMON is the latest project for the Scientists/Beasts of Bourbon co-founder member and internationally revered avant-garde artrocker Kim Salmon.
New single “Hell in a Handbasket” follows previous single “How Did they Ever Manage” which debuted at #1 on the AIR 100% Independant Singles chart in September. Both singles are taken from the band’s forthcoming new album on Cheersquad Records & Tapes.
Backseat Mafia’s Arun Kendall said of the first single: “Salmon’s ‘How Did They Ever Manage’ is an incredibly satisfying wry and visceral slice of grunge pop that slices and dices the febrile air with its glam stomp and sardonic pop delivery. It’s excoriating and vital, slightly chaotic with a buzzsaw spine and a pulse.”
The name ‘Smoked Salmon’ was begging to be used! Kim Salmon had been ignoring it for decades but finally gave in after being called on for a benefit for the Firefighters at the start of 2020. Smoked Salmon came to be the players stationed over in the west, in France, up in NSW and handy in his hometown Melbourne whenever he needed a band. And who doesn’t need a band? He could play shows most anywhere! He could even take an ensemble into a studio under the banner of Smoked Salmon – which he eventually did.
Smoked Salmon is a concept, a collection of recordings, a collective, a philosophy of least resistance flowing from a reputation for resolutely going against the stream! Wait a minute! Least resistance? Against the stream? Here’s the clincher. You can do both! Kim still has the desire to go upstream but has found a great source of new repertoire fishing in the streams from whence such classics as “Frantic Romantic”, “Last Night”, “Dropout”, “Come On Spring” and “Swampland” sprang!
With Smoked Salmon, Kim has a new album of material that sits seamlessly alongside ‘the old stuff you love’ (from The Scientists, Beasts Of Bourbon, Surrealists and Antenna), all lovingly assembled and performed by an international cast.
Dimi Dero; Delphine Ciampi; Sylvain Philipon; Todd Pickett; Jozeph Grech; Claire Birchall; Douglas Galbraith; Myles Mumford; Finn Keane; Sam Worrad; Jeffery Baker and Jeff Hooker all come together to create an episode in the musical adventure of Kim Salmon’s life. An episode that you miss at your own peril!
