e8: Stuart Smith

Courtesy of the Artist

Upon leaving a decade behind as a minister, Stuart Smith recently released his debut album, War Horse. Drawing inspiration from life within the religious world and the hardened stories of those around him, he set out to write a lyrically honest and musically diverse album chronicling his transition into a new world. Written over a three month period, War Horse, while firmly rooted in the Americana genre, displays a musical diversity reflective of Smith’s background. The mandolin and banjo flourishes harken to his deep family roots in the bluegrass regions of Appalachia, while resonator, harmonica, and electric guitar lines display his affinity and immersion into blues music. The gospel influences of his life as a minister are present in the piano and organ sounds and even more unfamiliar sounds like the guitarviol and sitar are rooted in his past of world music and studying Indian classical music with Hindu monks as a teenager. These sounds, anchored by pedal steel, intricate guitar work, and tour de force drums ground a mosaic of sound all his own. Here, Smith thoughtfully answers his e8 where he speaks about the album and developing his own voice, musical mentors, being a minister and father, and more.

Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did?
The entire album was pretty much wrote in a period of three months last fall. It was a time that I was transitioning out of a decade spent as a minister, so I was examining everything about my life, relationships, faith, and love. I wasn’t sure where I was going or what I was doing, but I just knew where I had been. While I was deconstructing much of my life, I was writing a lot as a way to sort through some of that. A lot of people’s stories weaved their way into my own and these songs, which allowed me to be really honest without seeming too exposed at the moment. I didn't really know at first that I was going to make music for a living. I was just writing and immediately heading into the studio to record them. Somewhere along the way, it became clear that there was an album developing that had this lyrical and sonic vein running through it. By the end of the year, I knew that this was heading into a direction towards a full-blown album.

Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
Anything that generates that “hum” inside of me. It can be a conversation or just a phrase that catches my attention and is a new way of saying something familiar. It can be a melody that falls in my hand that begins to give way to lyrics, phrases, or a concept. Parts of my life and background, especially religious imagery, find their way into my songs, but I don’t gravitate towards writing about myself too much. Other people’s stories and perspectives are always far more interesting to me. Writing from someone else’s vantage point also allows me to be a little more vulnerable and honest about my own thoughts and feelings. If I can weave my own fabric into someone else’s when writing, I don't feel the microscope as zoomed in on me. Maybe that’s a cowardly way of writing, but it works for me and gives me some freedom in how I approach songwriting.

With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect?
Writing this album was very much an exercise in developing my own voice. By the end of the album, I felt like I had the power over the songs. Like I was writing them instead of them writing me. The breakthrough moment for me came about halfway through when I wrote “Burn For You”. It was the first song I didn't try to complete in the first sitting. I would stop when the well ran dry and come back to it as the ideas came and then I’d edit and revise it to make sure each line communicated what I wanted with an economy of words. Musically and lyrically, I felt I hit the mark I was aiming for. That process I learned was so important to me moving forward. I learned that it’s ok to take my time and scrutinize my own work. At the end of the day, it isn’t precious and I need to be objective about my own writing to make sure I’m communicating the way I want to. It really changed how I write and helped me put an economy on lyrics and to utilize each word the best I can without being synthetic or mechanical. It was also a moment where I paired the chord changes, feel, and overall arrangement to amplify the mood of the lyrics. When it was done, the process was so natural that I knew my writing was changing. Since we were recording the album as I wrote, I only wish that I had struck that chord sooner.

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​​What’s the story behind “Hummingbird”?
That song came from the most unlikely of places. There is this huge bush by my front porch that blossoms with giant, white flowers every Fall and hummingbirds just love them. They'll fly right up to them and you can really observe them up close. So one afternoon last fall, I was drinking coffee on my front porch and just watching them. At first, I was mesmerized. They're beautiful and swift. As I watched closer, I realized what a neurotic little bird they are. They appear completely paranoid, always flying backwards at a moment’s notice and looking around as they feed. Theses birds wouldn’t turn their backs on the flowers, as if the very thing they desire will somehow turn on them or hurt them. As I watched, it became clear that they're kind of a metaphor for some people I know- beautiful, but damaged. Always running to or from something. The music was very much inspired by Emmylou Harris. She has a way of writing such simple and pretty melodies. In a way, I wanted to try to tap into that feel. The simplicity of the arrangement allowed us to really stretch out in the studio and incorporate different musical colors like banjo, sitar, and this crazy bowed instrument called a guitarviol. The players on this record were all incredible, so this song was an opportunity for them to shine as well. Musically speaking, I’m really proud that this song documents not only the spontaneity but also the musical brilliance of these guys.

Did you have a musical mentor?
In reality, there’s been so many people who've crossed my path who’ve influenced the music I make. My parents were obviously first. There was always an oldies radio station playing and so Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee, and The Beatles were some of my first musical memories. They actually took me to a Johnny Cash concert when I was eight. I still think of riding in my dad’s truck whenever I hear Neil Young’s Harvest. It feels like gravel dust, flannel, Jolly Ranchers, fire wood, and vinyl seats. My friend Thomas was the first one of my peers with really great taste in music. He had an older brother that had a CD case with all of the coolest alternative and indie music and his parent’s record collection was like the Holy Grail. We’d spend hours just immersed in it and some of my biggest influences, like Gram Parsons and John Hartford, came from that. My first guitar teacher, John Teaney, was huge for me. He was a bluegrass-gospel player with an old Gibson acoustic and he would keep me up until late on school nights teaching me everything he knew. I wanted to quit a million times, but I was too afraid of him to tell him, so I just kept learning. He was a big, tough guy that was pretty intimidating to a fifteen year old kid, but he had an absolute heart of gold. I owe him a lot. My band teacher, Sam Herring, was like Mr. Holland- a career teacher who made all the difference in a million lives. He opened my eyes to theory and took a lot of chances on me that now allow me to write and play without confines. He inspired notes that'll echo for a hundred years through the kids he taught. A couple of the musicians on the album were definitely mentors of mine recently- Rob Killiam is a very accomplished double bassist who was the first truly great musician that wanted to play with me and he opened me up to the world of jazz. Ben Cox, who played harmonica on the record, is the first person I ever heard playing real, old, and authentic blues in my hometown. He is the genuine article and is an encyclopedia of blues. We became best friends after that first time I walked in, by chance, to one of his shows and he definitely developed not only a love of blues in me, but the musical vocabulary to be able to play it.

Which song of yours gets the best crowd response?
This one is surprising to me, but it’s "Esmeralda." It’s the oldest song on the record. I wrote it about three years before this project was even on my radar and almost left it off the album because of its age, but I’m glad I didn’t. Pedal steel player, Cowboy Eddie Long (Jamey Johnson, Hank Williams Jr., Kenny Chesney) cut an absolutely brilliant solo on this song that still makes me smile every time I hear it. Musically, I fell in love with it during the recording and that’s probably why I hung onto it. It’s about as middle of the road as anything I’ve wrote, but sometimes those are the things that people connect with the most. Once in a while, I’ll write something that really pushes me and get really excited about it, but then it falls flat on it’s face. Meanwhile, a sad song in 2/4 time, like Esmeralda, hits home. The connection between people and a song is always a mystery to me, so I just try to write as honestly as I can and hope the wires spark.

What’s your dream venue and why?
That would easily be the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. I mean, isn’t it everyone’s dream venue? The wood of that stage is sacred ground and those walls have echoed the greatest music from the greatest American artists of all time. This past summer, I was invited to play there with William Fitzsimmons as part of the Americana At The Ryman series. It took about a minute or two to even process what he was asking me. It was absolutely surreal and humbling to just walk those halls, let alone stand on that stage to sing and play. Most days, I forget that was actually me up there and still dream about that moment like I did before. Then I have one of those “Oh yeah, I did that!” moments and come back to earth. That was always a far off dream, so to actually have played there is unbelievable to me. After that? Anywhere that people would come hear me play is a good night and a good venue. There’s a million different things that people could do on any given night, so for them to spend it with me is not something I take lightly or for granted at all.

If you weren’t a musician/ songwriter, where would we find you?
Well, that’s an easy one- for the past ten years, I was a minister. I loved that and for some time, it felt like exactly where I belonged. I honestly thought I’d do that forever. However, there was always a pull inside of me moving me towards something else. The distance between where I was and who I was becoming kept growing wider with each passing year. I never really imagined I’d be able to make my own music for a living and it took a huge, head-first leap of faith, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity. There isn’t a moment of it that is lost on me and I hope, over time, my body of work will reflect that. I’m also a father to three amazing kids, so when I’m not traveling or playing music, you will find me home with them and my wife. That breathes the life back into my lungs.

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