Pawnshop is a versatile band that sticks with an honest style, but explores all ranges of its sound with Three Brass Balls. The album, on Home Office Records, contains the talents of Pawnshop, plus Mark Hutchins, Chris Seefried, Charlie Carro III, Steve Fontaine, and Mark Nilsen.
Songwriter Sean Smith and bassist Keith Golden have been together for about four years now, cycling through dozens of line-ups. They have narrowed the band down to a threesome since the album was made. No definite arrangements have been made in the field of drumming. They continue doing shows with a variety of drummers and don’t ever plan on stopping.
The album includes varieties of sound which could be attributed to the collaboration of many friends and colleagues of Pawnshop, including Joan 90. The credit for the songwriting, though, goes completely to Sean Smith. His honest themes and lyrics are drawn from events in his life and the things around him, as most good music is. The roots of influence for Smith include The Clash, Paul Westerberg, David Bowie, Lou Reed, and others.
Pawnshop is currently performing gigs throughout the New England area. Smith is happy with where he is. There are loyal friends, family, and fans supporting them, but "I want to go to a place with people I’ve never met," he says. Getting through the winter is the greatest concern right now. A number of November and December shows are on the schedule, and Sean is trying to make major decisions for the band. A European tour is trying to pass the bill for next summer. A video has to fit in between everything else.
Plans for a follow-up to Three Brass Balls are being made. Pawnshop is looking for a sound that is closer to their live show. Smith has written a couple new songs but is finding time and inspiration eluding him. Nevertheless, he hopes to release the new album next summer.
Songs in MP3 format are available at their web site, http://www.web-ho.com/Pawnshop. More on the band and continuous updates can be found there, also. If you enjoy what you hear, the band requests that you "buy our record!"
There is a long road ahead of them, but Pawnshop is building their bridges and burning a few. "Thanks for supporting us," Smith says to the fans. When asked if they’re satisfied, Smith replies, "I’d like to be farther, but I’ve never been happier... [and] I feel like there’s direction."