Amos the Kid

About

The announcement of Amos the Kid’s debut LP, Enough as it Was, follows the remarkable rise of Winnipeg’s Amos Nadlersmith from reclusive songwriter to hometown hero. Only a few years have passed since the not-quite-country musician was playing the odd diamond-in-the-rough set in a half-empty bar. now, he’s a stop-him-in-the-street performer playing for sold out crowds of hundreds and readying one of the “most anticipated Canadian albums of 2023” (Exclaim!). Enough as it Was arrives May 5 on House of Wonders Records.

After moving from rural Manitoba to the “big city” of Winnipeg in 2013, Nadlersmith split his time between casually writing songs, navigating his early twenties and working as a wilderness guide. The first step in his ascent occurred back in 2018, when Adam Fuhr (Yes We Mystic, Virgo Rising, Tinge) convinced a hesitant Nadlersmith to step into his nascent recording space. The resulting EP, 2020’s Mountain View, was an endlessly charming hybrid of country songwriting and indie rock sensibilities that saw Nadlersmith garner his first critical acclaim, playlists and sync placements. Surprised by the release’s success, Nadlersmith shed his hesitation and threw himself wholeheartedly into the recording of his followup, 2021’s No More New Ideas EP. Ideas, an extension of its predecessor, refined his songwriting further, achieved even more success on playlists, and saw his crowds begin to multiply.

Enough as it Was sees Nadlersmith fully flesh out the corners of his sonic world. his indie-tinged-country rock is burnished for the first time by grungier undertones, somehow managing to be both incisive and feel-good—matching the energy of his live show. The album’s centerpiece is its title track, a startlingly off-kilter and warped vision of country music that stands unique in his catalogue, and perhaps in popular music at large. a kinetic, swaying blend of roots instrumentation and chopped percussive samples that progresses towards an unexpected and explosive finale.

Amos is insistent that he owes his success to the community that’s sprung up around him:

“Amos the Kid is less singular than the name suggests — I couldn’t have created anything without the immense talent and friendship of my collaborators,” says Nadlersmith. “This record is undoubtedly our best work so far, and I cannot wait to share it with you.”

Enough as it Was reunites the creative team from Amos’ two earlier EPs — it was produced, engineered and mixed by Adam Fuhr at House of Wonders, and was mastered by Cam Loeppky at Argyle Studio (The Weakerthans, The Constantines). The record features contributions from Jensen Fridfinnson (Yes We Mystic), Brian Gluck, Boy Golden, and Jeremy Haywood-Smith (JayWood), to name just a few. It arrives May 5 on vinyl and streaming services.