“Smooth Skin” is a tender, harmony-rich first glimpse into The Couriers’ quietly captivating folk sound
Toronto indie folk trio The Couriers are introducing listeners to the heart of their sound with “Smooth Skin,” a tender, harmony-rich new single lifted from their self-titled debut album. Built on gentle acoustic textures and a quietly romantic sense of longing, the track captures the band’s gift for understated, emotionally resonant songwriting – and holds special meaning as the very first song written for the project. We talked to The Couriers’ vocalist/guitarist Stephen Edwards about the unexpected inspiration behind “Smooth Skin,” the creative bond that comes from more than a decade of collaboration, and what it’s like to finally share their debut album with the world.
“Smooth Skin” has such a gentle, romantic feel, but it also hints at love that never quite found its moment. What were you hoping listeners would feel when they hear the song for the first time?
I hope that listeners feel a bittersweet sense of nostalgia while listening to the song for the first time. I’d be remiss if I didn’t credit Jon Savard for bringing out so much of the emotion and warmth in this song through the mixing process as well!
You’ve shared that the title actually came from a video game quote before the song evolved into a story about a love interest lost to time – can you walk us through how that unexpected spark turned into such an emotionally tender track?
When I conceived of this band, I happened to be replaying one of my favourite childhood video games, Fallout New Vegas. Initially, I thought it could be fun to make a concept album where each song is based off of a character or event from the game. A couple songs were written this way and inevitably scrapped, but the name of the band and two of the song names on the album remained true to this original idea (“Smooth Skin” included). I wrote the guitar part for this song first, and looking back at my shortlist of song names,“Smooth Skin” jumped out as a good candidate. I conceded that the song may be more moving as a story about a lost love interest as opposed to a ballad for a wannabe ghoul. Hence, the version that you hear on the album was born!
This was the very first song written specifically for The Couriers, and now it opens your debut album. Why did it feel important for “Smooth Skin” to introduce the record?
“Smooth Skin” is the kind of song that I’ve been dreaming of recording ever since I picked up a guitar as a kid. I’ve always loved the sound of fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar, and I’m a total sucker for vocal harmonies. It seemed like a given that a song like this would need to be on the record. At each point in the recording process, I got the sense that we really captured something special with “Smooth Skin”. And when sharing early versions with family and friends, I’d say that feeling was validated. So once the album was complete, it was an easy decision to lead it off with “Smooth Skin”.
This was the very first song written specifically for The Couriers, and now it opens your debut album. Why did it feel important for “Smooth Skin” to introduce the record?
“Smooth Skin” is the kind of song that I’ve been dreaming of recording ever since I picked up a guitar as a kid. I’ve always loved the sound of fingerpicking on an acoustic guitar, and I’m a total sucker for vocal harmonies. It seemed like a given that a song like this would need to be on the record. At each point in the recording process, I got the sense that we really captured something special with “Smooth Skin”. And when sharing early versions with family and friends, I’d say that feeling was validated. So once the album was complete, it was an easy decision to lead it off with “Smooth Skin”.
You were writing and making music together for more than a decade before officially becoming The Couriers. How did that long-standing friendship shape the sound and confidence of this debut album?
I’d say that our long-standing friendship means we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We aren’t trying to prove anything to one another, so more of our focus can go towards making something that we all think sounds good.
Sonically, “Smooth Skin” leans into a softer, acoustic and more intimate side of the band. Does that reflect the overall tone of the album, or does the record explore a wider emotional and musical range?
The record certainly explores a wide emotional and musical range. Each band member draws from a deep well of vastly differing musical influences, so it’s hard to imagine a project from The Couriers that doesn’t span a myriad of tones. I’d be hard-pressed to label the album with a single genre – consider it an exposé of things to come from the band in the future!
With your debut album now out and “Smooth Skin” introducing a lot of new listeners to the band, do you have any upcoming shows or live plans coming up that fans should know about?
Yes! We are playing at The Monarch Tavern in Toronto on Feb. 28, 2026. We’ll be posting updates on our Instagram leading up to the show. Hope to see many of you there!