The former Smokekiller has decided to reclaim his birth name, and release his third album under the name John Antoniuk.
It is very fitting that the singer/songwriter, coming to Golden in September, is returning to the name his mother gave him, given that the new album is full of material dedicated to her. The album “Always with You,” an ode to Antoniuk’s mother, Marlene, comes after she passed away in October 2010.
“I know it’s kind of confusing but it just felt like I should release this album as ‘me’, out of respect for my mother, ” he said. “When I’m performing with a full band, I still consider that collective to be called Smokekiller but to make it less complicated we’ll be calling them The Smokekiller Band when they perform with me.”
Antoniuk’s music draws a diverse range of comparisons− from Teenage Fanclub and Weezer to Ryan Adams and Neil Young. His first two albums, released under the moniker Smokekiller, earned him a selection as a National Finalist in the 2009 Radiostar Songwriting Competition. In 2011, he was awarded a 10K20 project grant from Rawlco Radio, which allowed him to record “Always with You,” with producer and folk-rocker Leeroy Stagger.
Antoniuk will be hitting the road with the five-piece Smokekiller Band for a string of Western Canadian dates, starting in Saskatoon on September 1, and coming through Golden on September 6 for a show at the Rockwater.
Opening for him on this tour will be his wife and fellow musician, Jen Lane, who will also be performing with a full backing band. “Always with You” will be available for purchase in stores and online on September 4.
To hear a sample of Antoniuk’s music, go to www.myspace.com/smokekiller.
