The art of the song writer is to take the deeply personal and make it universal, and then to shrug it all off by saying, “I don’t know where that came from, those lyrics aren’t about me at all.”

On her latest EP, Love, Lies ‘n’ Leaving, Helen Townsend, with Shannon Smith, does all that and more. Recorded as a means of getting back to her roots,

The art of the song writer is to take the deeply personal and make it universal, and then to shrug it all off by saying, “I don’t know where that came from, those lyrics aren’t about me at all.”

On her latest EP, Love, Lies ‘n’ Leaving, Helen Townsend, with Shannon Smith, does all that and more. Recorded as a means of getting back to her roots, literally — now that borders are beginning to open, Townsend wants to tour these songs on the east coast where her family lives — the five songs that comprise the EP see Townsend also stripping things back to the bare bones of her country music origins with some beautifully realised Western swing, and bringing back the duet.

• Produced by Helen Townsend / Shannon Smith / Elliot Smith • Recorded at Sundown Studios O’Connor WA • Mixed by James Newhouse at Real 2 Reel Studios Bunbury WA • Mastered by King Willy Sounds in Tasmania • Musicians: Vocals Helen Townsend & Shannon Smith, James Church on Dobro, Lucky Oceans on Dobro, Ian Simpson on Banjo, Dave Johnson on Mandolin, Ben Franz on Double Bass and Lukas Murphy, Shannon Smith and Helen Townsend on Acoustic Guitar.