Thread: John Smith
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Old 01-27-2015, 01:49 AM   #1
LisaHanniganChile
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Default John Smith: Biography



John is a guitarist, singer and composer of Folk. He was born on January 26, 1982 in Devon, UK. Over the years, it has become one of the most important voices in this musical area in the country, despite always keep a low profile.

Smith grew up listening to the record collections of his parents: Paul Simon, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and Bob Dylan. Artists that eventually inspired him to choose the path that would mark the rest of his life: music. Although initially, his artistic approach was more about drawing and comics. Ideas that "tossed out the window" once discovered in music his main lodge.



Since childhood he began playing the piano and drums. With the first it did well, unlike the second, which caused a deep frustration in John. Anyway, thanks to his father, at age 11, he first picked up an old worn acoustic guitar. With this "everything made sense".

Obsessed with Jimi Hendrix, Cream and Nirvana, wanted to dabble a bit in that musical area, but eventually was the Folk of Paul Simon and Ry Cooder which marked infinitely the way of John.

The first song he wrote was at age 20, but had no success. Working at a comic shop for the day, and playing his guitar in bars at night. Gradually the songs began to get to his head and after two years was enough for a first album.

John is considered neither a great singer and neither a great composer, but he think he have some capacity for guitar. All this, of course, as part of humility that characterizes it.



"The composition is something that I still struggle, every day", he says.


The songs of John Smith, has always had the particularity of storytelling. What does this mean? You will never hear talking about an "I" self-referential, quite the opposite. Smith, goes into different people and personalities to create a new style, special and unique which mutates constantly. It can be a man, a woman, a religious or an atheist without problem within one disc. Still, a feeling is capable of being perceived: sadness.

"Occasionally being an artist is exhausting. In those moments I had to maintain the strength of my love for music. It's like any relationship. One needs to hold on if you want it to work. I'm still learning, of course."


John had to slowly earn their place in music, yet has been complex. A few years ago he was invited to a festival in the United States. The day was cold and rainy. The enclosure was full of people around all the scenarios, except around him. He arrived alone, played alone and left alone, no applause. "The worst concert of his life," he says.



"I've always played the acoustic guitar. It was just a happy accident, to be honest"

Discs:

The Fox and the Monk, 2006.


Map or Direction, 2009.


Eavesdropping, 2011.


Great Lakes, 2013.


During his latest album, "Great Lakes", John made the opening act for the Irish troubadour Lisa Hannigan and American Joe Henry. With they formed a strong bond of friendship that continues to this day, and where, incidentally, he met the musicians who accompany yet.



«My hearts wears a fancy dress, burst at the seams»




Lisa Hannigan Chile: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.hannigan.chile

Last edited by LisaHanniganChile; 01-27-2015 at 02:06 AM.
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