John Smith

Plus Special Guests

TUESDAY 12TH APRIL 2022

Doors 7pm

£20.00

‘The Fray’ is Smith’s sixth studio album, written and recorded in a universally difficult 2020, and
his vulnerability throughout is offered to his listeners, unadorned. “It’s been a hell of a year,
but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result, and as a necessity. A lot of these songs
are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.” Smith’s
stubborn optimism in tough circumstances shines through on the title track, in which he sings
“Holding onto hope / I don’t need a decent reason / Yes and though it disappears sometimes /
It returns with every season”.
Smith co-produced ‘The Fray’ with long-time friend and producer Sam Lakeman. They recorded
at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio, with pianist Jason Rebello (Sting, John Mayer), bass player
Ben Nicholls (Seth Lakeman, Nadine Shah), Drummer Jay Sikora (Paolo Nutini) and Jessica
Staveley-Taylor of The Staves. The album is a true reflection of the times, with American
collaborators Sarah Jarosz, Courtney Hartman, The Milk Carton Kids and Bill Frisell recording
remotely and sending contributions over international borders. John’s frequent touring partner
Lisa Hannigan contributed via a virtual studio session in Dublin.
Smith co-wrote a couple of songs for the album whilst on tour before the pandemic. Driving a
rental car from Asheville to Nashville, John stopped to write the standout track ‘Eye to Eye’ with
North Carolina-based Sarah Siskind. The Americana influence is a red thread throughout the
album which beautifully compliments Smith’s unmistakable British Folk roots.
With 10 weeks in the US Americana top 50 charts, and with strong coverage in AP, Mojo,
Sunday Times, No Depression, Guitar Magazine, and The Fretboard Journal, backed up with
over 2million streams in the first two months of release alone, ‘The Fray’ is set to become
John’s most successful and critically acclaimed album.
Smith was born in Essex and raised on the Devon seaside. Known for his intimate songwriting,
his honey-on-gravel voice and pioneering guitar playing, he has spent the last fifteen years
touring internationally and has amassed over 55 million streams on Spotify. As a session
musician he has played guitar with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, David Gray, Joe Henry, Lianne
La Havas and Tom Jones.
'Smith's voice is a rare and deeply soulful combination of granite and velvet’ - THE SUNDAY
TIMES
‘Aching, doggedly optimistic and gently spangled with hooks’ - MOJO
‘There’s a comforting sway to the album’s melodic folk-pop, built on Smith’s subtle guitar
work...12 tunes of resilience, devotion and hope, with determination
in the lyrics and buoyancy in the music.’ - ASSOCIATED PRESS
‘An album of searing honesty and lithe beauty whose songs amplify the emotions and
experiences of so many of us this year—the reassessed relationships, the self-reflection, and the
ultimate search for hope.’ - THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION

Over 18s Only


Buy Tickets

Not available online at this time


Voodoo Rooms

19a West Register Street
Edinburgh
United Kingdom


Venue Details

Regular Music Presents

THU 28 SEP 2023
Alas De Liona
Voodoo Rooms, EdinburghDoors 7.30 pm£8.50
MON 2 OCT 2023
The Waterboys
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, GlasgowDoors 7.00pmSold Out
TUE 3 OCT 2023
The Waterboys
Usher Hall, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£38.50
THU 5 OCT 2023
The Waterboys
Barrowland, GlasgowDoors 7.00pmSOLD OUT
FRI 13 OCT 2023
Haircut 100
Plus Special Guests
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£32.50
SAT 14 OCT 2023
LLoyd Cole
Usher Hall, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£28.50
SUN 15 OCT 2023
Lloyd Cole
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, GlasgowDoors 7.00pm£28.50
THU 19 OCT 2023
MAITA
plus special guests
Nice N Sleazy, Glasgowdoors 7.30 pm£12.00
FRI 20 OCT 2023
Samantha Fish + Jesse Dayton
Special Guests: The Commoners.
Barrowland, GlasgowDoors 7.00pm£25.00
Punk Rock Factory
Adam and the Metal Hawks & Matt Stocks (DJ set)
O2 Academy Glasgow, GlasgowDoors 7pm£18.50
SAT 21 OCT 2023
Eyes of Others
Leith FAB Cricket Club, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£10.00
WED 25 OCT 2023
The Pretenders
Barrowland, GlasgowDoors 7.00 pm£42.50
The Mission
SWG3, Glasgowdoors 7.00 pm£29.50
Gold Panda
Sneaky Pete's, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£15.00
THU 26 OCT 2023
Kassi Valazza
Mono, Glasgow7.30 pm£12.00
FRI 27 OCT 2023
Withered Hand (full band)
+ Support
Saint Luke's, GlasgowDoors 7.00pm£18.50
TUE 31 OCT 2023
Iris DeMent
An Evening With
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, GlasgowDoors 6.30pm£32.50
WED 1 NOV 2023
Old Crow Medicine Show
Barrowland, GlasgowDoors 7.00 pm£32.50
SAT 4 NOV 2023
King Creosote - Matinee
Plus Special Guests
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 1.30pmNot Available
Haley Blais
CCA, Glasgowdoors 7.00 pm£14.00
King Creosote - Evening
Plus Special Guests
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 7pmSold Out
WED 8 NOV 2023
Avalon Emerson & The Charm
Stereo.., Glasgowdoors 7.30 pm£12.50
Joshua Hyslop
Glad Cafe, ShawlandsDoors 7.30pm£13.50
Sunny War
plus special guests
Oran Mor Auditorium, GlasgowDoors 7:00pm£15.00
FRI 10 NOV 2023
Rudi Zygadlo
plus special guests
SWG3, Glasgowdoors 7.00 pm£10.00
SAT 11 NOV 2023
Tide Lines
'Elements - An Intimate Acoustic and Electronic Reworking of their Music
The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh8pm Start£27.50
Tide Lines - Matinee
'Elements - An Intimate Acoustic and Electronic Reworking of their Music
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 1.45pmSold Out
SUN 12 NOV 2023
Karine Polwart - Matinee
No support
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 1.15pm22.50/£10
Rudi Zygadlo - Edinburgh Show
Plus special guests
Voodoo Rooms - Speakeasy, EdinburghDoors 7.00pm£10.00
Willi Carlisle
Plus special guests
Voodoo Rooms, EdinburghDoors 7.30pm£14.00
Karine Polwart
No support
The Queen's Hall, EdinburghDoors 7pmNot available