So
excited to bring to you Artist of the Week Q&A series.
Recently,
I got in touch with Australian singer-songwriter JD Smith to talk about his new
song, upcoming single, album and future tours.
Which
by the way JD’s next single ‘Silent in This Corner’ will be released on October
28th 2022, and album ‘Soul Searchin’ February 10th 2023.
And yes, there will be a video clip, coming soon!!! Make sure to Pre-Save on
ITUNES, SPOTIFY, Amazon music and YouTube music.
Exciting
part is there is a bonus track which is a Christmas song.
And
anyone who knows me, knows I love Christmas. This song is very close to my
heart called ‘Don't Save It All For Christmas Day (Special Edition Track)”. A
beautiful rendition of this song.
Can’t
wait for you all to hear it, which will be released same day as JD’s next
single ‘Silent in this Corner’.
Such
exciting news, as it has been a long wait since his last album release ‘Sea of
Tears” in 2018.
He
has recorded many solo albums, his latest being ‘Sea of Tears’ and now upcoming
new album “Soul Searchin’ in February 2023.
There
are 7 original songs and 5 covers which includes “How Would You Feel an Ed
Sheeran cover.
Check
it out below of the latest single “How Would you Feel"
I purchased recently an advanced copy of the artist’s album and I have to
say I was completely blown away.
The
music arrangements and vocals make this a masterpiece.
You
can tell a lot of hard work has gone into making this album and it is absolutely
worth the wait.
From
first track to the last, tells us a story, a journey. It shows warmth and
emotion which is when you know it is going to be a good album!!
If
you would like to hear the complete album you can purchase an advanced signed
copy via JD Smith’s website https://www.jdsmith.com.au/.
There are limited copies so make sure to get a copy now.
If
missed, you will just have to wait till next year February 10th 2023.
The
moment has arrived, please welcome my special guest JD Smith!!!
Thank you for being the first artist to be a part of the
re-launch of Music Beats Central Artist of the week series. Tell us since our
last interview what have you been up to?
JD: It’s been a busy time! I’ve been
touring with The Ten Tenors since 2016. I’ve toured the US, New Zealand,
Australia, Brazil, gigs in Dubai, Netherlands, Argentina & Thailand! I
recorded vocals for their latest 2 records ‘Wish you were here’ and ‘Love is in
the air’.
My little family and I are always on the road,
my wife works in musical theatre, so we are always in a different city with the
kids. I think our friends would love us to be in one place for longer than a
couple of months, but honestly, it’s just a part of our life and I’m always
excited and comfortable being somewhere new all the time.
Congrats on your latest release “How Would You Feel” a
beautiful song. How did it all come about in doing an Ed Sheeran cover?
JD: Thank you! I was in the middle of
recording my album ‘Soul Searchin’ when I was sent this track. Peter Karpin had
suggested it to my manager. I met Peter during my time on ‘The Voice
Australia’.
I instantly love it! It reminded me of some of
Van Morrisons earlier work. The beautiful simplicity of the guitar, the melody
and the lyrics drew me in straight away! I also love ballads so of course I
wanted to record it!
Absolutely love the video clip of “How Would You Feel”,
where was this filmed?
JD: Oh nice. Thanks. Ian Phillips from my
label Ambition Entertainment put the footage together. I unfortunately had
nothing to do with the couple in the video, I’m not sure where they are from!
My job was to film a little bit of singing so we could add me in there for some
of the shots! But I love the couple in the video and how real they are! It fits
perfectly for this song.
There is also an upcoming song that you wrote “Silent in
this Corner” out October 28th 2022, from your upcoming album “Soul
Searchin’”. What does this song mean to you? And what was the inspiration
behind it?
JD: I love this song. I can’t wait for it
to be released. I wrote it during that crazy Melbourne lockdown, when the world
went a little mad for a moment! You could imagine the emotions running high,
especially since we had just welcomed a new baby into the world. I was thinking
about war, climate change, pandemic, border closures etc and trying to get my
head around it all. Wondering how my children & many children around the world
were coping with everything. Were they feeling safe, loved & protected…that’s
all that mattered.
So, I wrote it as a kind of ‘in the eyes of a
child’ song.
I love the arrangement; it was produced by Sean
Carey. Matt Druery played some epic drum parts. I had an idea of adding some
marching drums, and I think it’s my favourite part of the song!
Michael Cristiano, who I recorded half the
album with, mixed it and really brought it to life! I can’t wait to sing it
live.
With your new single and album, what should we expect?
JD: I’ve been working on this album for
over a year! It’s been a labour of love. I’m super proud of it. It’s an adult
contemporary album. Vocals are a huge deal for me, so I take a lot of time to
make sure all the vocals are as great as they can be, including the harmonies
etc.
There are 7 originals & 5 covers.
I think it’s a really great mix of tunes.
There’s a track called Soul Searchin’ (also the album name), that I wrote with
Rick Price, it sums up how I’ve been feeling perfectly.
We’re all searching for something in life,
whether it be love, good health, a fulfilling career, happiness. Sometimes we
find it, sometimes we don’t, but if we have people around us that can pick us
up when we’re down, then it’s a great start.
In the coming months, what should the fans know on what’s
to come?
JD: My album release is Feb 10th
2023. I’ll be launching the album the same day at Mantra studio in Yarraville,
vic. Tickets available via my website www.jdsmith.com.au.
I’m going to be gigging a lot next year,
including playing ‘Soul Searchin’ shows. You can stay updated on my whereabouts
on my website.
And lastly what would you like to say to your new and
current fans?
JD: Thanks so much for the support! I hope
you love my new record as much as I loved recording it.
It’s all about pre-saving these days. You’ll
see a lot of artists asking their fans and friends & family to pre-save
their songs. It’s the only way to be heard, to chart and ultimately have your
music released to a wider audience.
We all spend a great amount of time, energy,
tears & money in recording music, so the support is definitely appreciated
& needed.
Lots of love to all and please check out my
album when it’s released.
Hopefully I’ll see you at one of my gigs.
So humble, down to earth and talented human
being.
Thank you so much for taking time out of your
busy schedule JD and look forward for all of the exciting times ahead with the
release of the singles, videos and album and of course the tour!!!
Truly a privilege and honour to interview this
artist.
Make sure to follow, like and subscribe for the
latest new music, news, tours and more by heading to all of the links below!
Here is a Show reel of the artist’s
past performances.
Though the new album is a lot different
from past releases, you can’t go wrong in purchasing top quality music, and
that is where JD Smith comes in.
This is JD’s first cover album
release and I can’t wait for you all to hear it.
Smith
is heading to the U.S. with the TEN Tenors for the ‘Power Of TEN’ tour from
November 28th 2016. JD started his amazing adventure with the group
since late 2015 where he travelled to the U.S. for the ‘Home for the Holidays’ Christmas
tour.
And
now the time has come, to finally reveal to you all, on what has been happening
in the past year with this talented artist.
James
talks about a lot of things, i.e. new single, video and cover album release, the
process in making the album and so much more!!!
Please
welcome my special guest JD Smith :)
You will be releasing
your new single from your upcoming album in November. Can you tell us what the
song is called?
The
single will be released late November. Closer to the date a video will be
released to promote the single. At this stage, without giving the track away,
it’s an old country tune that we’ve slowed right down; it’s both hauntingly
beautiful and heartbreaking. It features only piano, pedal steel guitar, bass
and vocals. I’m pumped for ya’ll to hear it.
How did it all come
about in releasing a cover album?
It’s
been a long time coming this record. I always knew I would record some sort of
covers album, it was just finding the right time, style, songs, producer and
musicians. I’ve been lucky over the years to have worked with some
extraordinary musicians, some of which play on this new record.
Cover
albums aren’t as easy to put together as some may think, it’s a process of
making sure that the material you record makes sense together as a whole,
rather than slapping on a few favourite songs or well-known songs, I really
needed to think of how I’d make the album gel together. I feel like we got that
part right!
What was the process in
making the album?
We
recorded the album in Sydney at Church street studios in Camperdown. Sean Carey
has produced the album (he also produced my 2012 album ‘Invite me places’).
It
was a pretty cruisy fun process, the songs took shape within days and the
arrangements, most of which I came into the studio with, all made sense as we
layered the tracks.
I
grew up listening to Country music, it took me a while to really appreciate it,
now I realise some of the best singer/songwriters are country artists. It was a
no- brainer for me to give this album a country feel.
It’s
natural and feels right for me, subsequently, most of the songs on the album
aren’t country songs (apart from a couple), but we’ve added a bit of country
flavour to them.
There
are a couple of well-known songs on the album and some I’ve been singing live
for years now like “Bed of Roses” by Bon Jovi, However, I think most people
will be pleasantly surprised to hear a range of songs that they may not have
heard before. We’ve included songs by some great artists/bands like Van
Morrison, The Eagles, Guns‘N’Roses, Bob Marley and The Bee Gees to name a few.
With your new single
and album, what should we expect?
I’ve
never been so excited and proud of a recording as I have with this new record.
My voice seems to be stronger than it’s ever been, recording is second nature
to me now, and I feel like this album will show folks a side of me that they
haven’t heard before (like a bit of yodelling).
The
album itself is definitely not the type you’d put on if you wanted to party the
night away. It’s an adult contemporary pop/country album that’s easy listening.
All
real instruments with real musicians playing everything, real singing (including
backing singing by Shandelle Cooke who has helped give this album so much
class, as well as Bec Caruana who added some absolute specialness to 2 of the
tracks), there’s nothing fake about it.
If
you want an album to sing along to, then this is definitely it! Expect some new
music videos, singles and tours in 2017 to coincide with the album’s release.
In the coming months,
what should the fans know on what’s to come?
After
releasing the first single from the album in November this year, I’ll be
heading to the US for a tour till early January with The Ten Tenors. My album
will then be released early 2017 with my own Australian tour promoting my
album.
And lastly what would
you like to say to your new and current fans?
I’m
really looking forward to playing live for you all in 2017. I love meeting
folks out there who enjoy seeing live music and support live artists. Thanks
for any and all your support, I’m super excited to have a new album out for you
all to enjoy very soon. It has been a few years since I have released anything,
but hopefully the wait will be worth it. So far, it has for me!
What
a humble and down to earth guy.
Thank
you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule James and look forward
for all of the exciting times ahead with the release of the single, video and
album and of course the tour!!!
Make
sure to follow, like and subscribe for the latest new music, news, tours and
more by heading to all of the links below!
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