cranes

Line notes and looking forward.

A crane above the Tramshed taken while on the 58

I’m writing this on the 17th of April 2025, exactly 2 months from now, this article will be published alongside the release of our song ‘cranes’. To keep it short, I am very nervous as we haven’t released a song in close to a year and nothing as ambitious as this track, but I also can’t wait. I wrote this song last November, and we recorded it this February, so it’s been in the works for a long time now. The song will also be released the day before my final A Level exam, so it’s going to be a mad week to say the least. I adore this song, and when casual smart first formed, I never thought we’d be able to make a song that sounds as quality as this. I’m a bit burnt out at the moment, we don’t have many gigs booked, and I feel sunken by the pressures of journalism, college and social relations that I guess I’m writing this to try and look forward to a time where hopefully I will be feeling a lot better. So I wanna give some more info on the song; take this as like line notes or something like that.

Tour van

Cranes was written on November 15, 2024, and it was only written as a safety precaution. For those who don’t know, the band casual smart sees me (Peter), Tom, and Emily sing lead vocals on different songs. The week before we were about to go on tour supporting Porridge Radio, Emily’s voice completely broke, and her ability to sing was in doubt. In this panic, I decided to write a song that meant we could maintain a 30-minute set. I brought it to practice the day after, and we got a rough shape of the track. It was a lot slower and didn’t have Emily’s awesome lead guitar in the outro, but it’s also still charming to look back on. Throughout the process of writing the song, the idea has always been that Ollie will go crazy on the drums at the outro, and this recording encapsulates that well, I think. Emily’s voice healed, thank god, and we played her songs on all 3 dates, but we managed to fit Cranes in on the Bristol night. Here’s the first version we played in practice;

Me and Slight making stir-fry on FaceTime together.

In terms of what the song is about, it’s a love song about Cardiff and my partner Slight and how the two intertwine. I don’t mean to be soppy, but I mean this is the line notes for a love song; Slight is the best person I know. Any words I say or song I write will never do them justice, but they are my rock and have helped me navigate a tough year. We spent so much time going between pubs, getting market lunches, catching the last bus to Canton or Penarth, accepting our defeat and walking home slushed and going to lots of gigs. Dating me, it is required that we go to lots and lots, and Slight is the perfect gig-goer. When we saw Fat Dog, and I injured my neck and had to leave early, they helped me heal up, and they waited with me to get to the very front of BC,NR. Cardiff has backdropped our relationship. I’ve always struggled with living here in all honesty; I’ve wanted to live somewhere more lively, bigger, prettier and more fun, but being with Slight has helped me find everything I need in Cardiff. Every side street shortcut, smash burger place on City Road, summer cider and spliff in Bute Park, eclectic Clwb Ifor Bach club night, loitering-field-hangout, last minute Kings karaoke night is all I will ever really need. I have been so lucky to grow up in Cardiff, and I genuinely love this place to death. Being in a non-London band in this industry is fucking difficult and as infuriating it is to see people from London get more opportunites than us, it’s also sweeter when we succseed and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I take so much pride in being in a Cardiff band because I love this scene. Playing Cranes in Cardiff for the first time in Porters at Christmas time was genuinely magical. We were all really quite drunk and it will probably go down as one of our worst shows ever, but it did not feel like it. It was also christmas time and my birthday and everything was just amazing. Its not fully confirmed yet, but hopefully we should be playing a single release party at Porters on the 25th, (which should be next week) so if that is still true, go see us then!

Me and Tom from our headline in Clwb

In January, we sold out our second-ever headline show at the fantastic Clwb Ifor Bach, which I’m honestly still trying to wrap my head around. Everything about that night was so special; my keyboard stand broke and Emily’s strings snapped and generally the whole thing was not as smooth as I would’ve liked, but I don’t really care in my eyes getting this far was more than enough for me. I know its not wembely, but I’ve wanted that gig for so, so, so long and it was genuinely golden. Nothing will ever top it. I think that night was also one of our best renditions of Cranes, we played it as the encore song and transitioned it into our song Queen of Hearts. We hadn’t played the latter in a while before then, and we’d kept it tight-lipped that we were going to bring it back for Clwb so the moment was generally very special.

Recording cranes in CWRW (idk why the quality is fucked lol)

We recorded cranes in CWRW Studios, Camarthen on the 22nd of February right before our show with Frank Lloyd Wleft. The fantastically talented and lovely Louis O’Hara recorded and mixed the track with us, and I will be the first to say what an absolute pleasure it was to record with him. Not only did he do cranes a complete justice, but took it to a sonic high that I didn’t think we would be able to reach. We’ve also recorded an EP with him and as I’m writing this, we’re getting the first mixes through and already it is sounding so fucking sick. If you’re a musician and you’re reading this, PLEASE record at CWRW Studios, it is absolutely golden. That day in Camarthen is one of my favourites ever with casual smart and every second I spend at CWRW, my heart grows bigger. I also must shout out James Trevascus for mastering the track. I have never met him or spoken much at all to him, but he’s done a fantastic drop mastering cranes so chwarae teg mate.

Cranes outside Radyr taken by Emily

Okay, I think I’m done here, wow. I’ll run through another few people who deserve shout-outs here. Elvis Thirlwell will be doing the press for the song. I met him at So Young, and he is all around fantastic to the core. There are so many scary and super super serious people in this industry and Elvis is a breath of fresh air all the while being fucking class at press. I’m not a fortune teller, but I have no doubts that he will do the track wonders. Slight (who I have previously mentioned, obvs) and Joe Pienczkie are due to film the music video for Cranes at the start of next month (which is last month for you, the reader), and it should release alongside the song. I can sing Slight’s praises all day long, but I have seen them work on film projects for uni and I am in awe of their creative talent and organisational skills. Penski is my boy, and since I met him when we were 7, I’ve seen the power of his imagination through our friendship and all the movies we used to make in our early teenage years. He’s a star and I am so very excited to see what Joe and Slight come up with. All of our wonderful friends who have supported us all the way through, I can’t ever thank you enough. To my parents for driving me around to practices, recording sessions and even to Leeds and back, none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for you so thank you a million, I love you. Thank you, Evan Jones, even though you’re not a part of casual smart anymore, even before this song was conceived, you’re a vital reason we are where we are today and being in a band with you is something I will treasure forever. Finally, most importantly, to Tom Thomas, Rowan Phillips, Emily Beal and Oliver Goddard. Tom you’re my best mate and I come to you for anything, you’re fucking brilliant, Emily for all those games of fifa post-practise chatting about what we could go onto achieve you’re a sister to me, Rowan for your groundedness and the sense of fun you bring to the band and last, but certianly not least OG, from Sports Direct rugby to mock Leinster accents you’re a legend through and through. I never thought I’d get to be in a band like this, let alone with 4 absolutely fantastic people. This is the honour of a lifetime and I can’t wait to share what we made with the world. ‘cranes’ is out now (or in two months for me), please please go listen!

casual smart 4ever (quality is fucked on THIS ONE TOO AGGGGH)

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