PORT RYERSE - If you see Erin Smith on the street, you can catch, her attention by shouting, "Hey, Nice Pants." It's a compliment, certainly, but it's also the title of the Erin Smith Band's first CD, which is currently in music stores both locally and in Toronto. The CD, coupled with bookings in Toronto clubs and summer music festivals are an indication that the band is making its mark on the music scene. After performing as a solo act, Port Ryerse's Smith hooked up with her brother, Liam, and friend, Mike Chadwick, to form a band. She is the vocalist and guitarist, her brother plays bass and Chadwick is the drummer. "I used to do solo in Toronto before we all hooked up, so it was silly to change the name, because we'd lose any notoriety we'd built up," said Smith. She describes the band's music as "funky folk punk." "It's acoustic, but I'm a wailer, a foghom," she said. "I do the lyrics and the melody. If left to my own devices, I can be pretty mushy, but they (the other band members) funk it up and make everyone rock out pretty hard." Smith, 22, isn't certain where music will lead her, but she's gaining experience in all aspects of the music industry. While she finishes her degree at York University, she is working part time for the Canadian Musical Reproductive Rights Agency, which acts as an agent for record company publishers to ensure song copyrights are in order. It provides her with a different perspective on the music business and an opportunity to make industry contacts. She also owns the record label on which the band's CD was issued. "I basically run it as a small business," she said. "I wanted to know firsthand what goes into it. It was a huge learning experience. I learned about things like graphics and mastering and worked at finding out the best way to do things." The combination of school, work and music keeps Smith very busy, but she loves every minute of it. "Right now, it's going really well," she said. 'The band is swing to get some attention in Toronto and we're in a bunch of festivals this summer. They're great fun." The band was also selected to perform during Canadian Music Week, the major music industry convention. Not bad for a woman who didn't turn from violin to guitar until four years ago. "I picked up the guitar at 18," she said. "I was tired of being singer girl. 1 was fed up with doing what everyone wanted me to play. "I started writing songs and it kind of exploded from there."
