John Smith has played to audiences all over the world in festival tents, living rooms and sold-out concert halls. His uniquely intimate take on love, loss or even a mythic murder ballad, combined with his innovative guitar work, have won him a loyal following. It’s all for the love of the guitar. John plays a rumbling acoustic fingerstyle but sometimes uses a slide or plays the guitar on his lap. His playing and honey-on-gravel vocals have brought crowds the world over to pin-drop silence and rapturous applause.
John has opened shows for Iron and Wine, John Martyn, Tinariwen and Gil Scott-Heron, and has performed alongside the likes of Jackson Browne, Jerry Douglas, Richard Hawley, Jarvis Cocker and Rodney Crowell. In his occasional role as session musician he has played electric guitar for David Gray, Lisa Hannigan, LeAnn Rimes and Lianne La Havas.
John has self-released four albums: “The Fox and the Monk”, “Map Or Direction”, “Eavesdropping” and ”Great Lakes”. His fifth album Headlong is out on June 30
“He’s a magician” – Ben Howard
“Spellbinding” – Time Out
“Brilliant.” – MOJO
“His motivations are pure, his vision is straight, his music is honest and true.” – Kelly Joe Phelps
“Demonstrates why he is regarded as the guitarists’ guitarist.” – The Sunday Times
John Smith will be supported by New Jersey native, Will Stratton who has released his Rosewood Almanac album via the much celebrated label Bella Union (Father John Misty, John Grant, Fleet Foxes, Midlake). A work of fragile magic, a hypnotic combination of beautifully breathy voice and exquisite lyrical imagery, gorgeous melodies and similarly soft-spun instrumentation, centred on his thrumming acoustic guitar and the verdant presence of velvet strings.
