Former guitarist for The Fall (and former wife of the late Mark E Smith) Brix Smith will release her first-ever solo album, Valley of the Dolls, on March 10 via Republic of Music. The album was produced by Youth of Killing Joke and features contributions from Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles (she was briefly a touring member) and Siobhan Fahey (Bananarama, Shakespeare’s Sister). “What came out here was probably the album I’ve been waiting to make since I was 15 years old,” Brix told Uncut, *but through the lens of a 60-year-old!”
There are three songs you can listen to now — “Fast Net,” “Aphrodite,” and “California Smile” — all of which are punky guitar pop. Watch videos for each below.
Brix was in The Fall from 1983 – 1989, one of the most beloved periods of the band and during that time she co-wrote many of their best-known songs. After leaving The Fall and divorcing Smith, Brix formed jangly group Adult Net, who released one album, The Honey Tangle, in 1989. She rejoined The Fall briefly in 1994-1995 and contributed to two more of their albums, and then released a solo EP, Happy Unbirthday, in 1997.
Smith had largely given up music by the early 2000s, trading guitars for clothes as a fashion retailer, but began playing again in 2014 with Brix & The Extricated, which featured her former Fall bandmates, bassist Steve Hanley and drummer Paul Hanley. For Valley of the Dolls’ live shows, Brix has put together an “all-female supergroup” including My Bloody Valentine‘s Deb Googe, Jen Macro (Charlotte Hatherley’s band), and Vas Antoniadou and Ros Cairney from deux furieuses.
Valley of the Dolls:
1 Living Thru My Despair
2 Fast Net
3 Aphrodite
4 California Smile
5 Changing
6 Black Rainbow Sky
7 Say I’m Ur No.1
8 Valley Girl
9 All My Luv
10 Black Butterfly