Sat, 22 Oct
|Dublin 1
Turning Pirate Presents: John Smith
Renowned UK folk artist John Smith to play The Grand Social Saturday, October 22nd


Time & Location
22 Oct 2022, 19:30
Dublin 1, 35 Liffey St. Lower, North City, Dublin 1, D01 C3N0, Ireland
About The Event
“There’s something wonderfully unforced about both his playing and his vocals...in the
weight of experience that he brings to his songs...it’s rare these days to find an audience
so wrapped up in a performance”
- Simon O'Hagan, The Independent
“You’re smiling even as tears catch in your throat.” -MOJO
“Far from the connotations his name brings, John Smith is one of a kind.” -Wonderland
“Refreshing openness and honesty.” -Total Guitar
“He’s a magician.” -Ben Howard
“I believe in John Smith; his motivations are pure, his vision is straight, his music is
honest and true.” -Kelly Joe Phelps
“Spellbinding.” -Time Out
“A guitar genius…He sounds as though he arrived 60 years ago but looks startlingly
young, perched on a chair, quietly confident, charming and instantly engaging.” -The
Sun
“the guitarists’ guitarist” -The Sunday Times
“Staggeringly good.” -Acoustic Magazine
Renowned folk artist John Smith hails from the English seaside in
Devon and has long had links to Ireland, not least thanks to his long standing
touring relationships with Lisa Hannigan and Cara Dillon.
John Smith will return this autumn for three intimate live shows, at Coughlans, Cork
on Thursday 20th October and Friday 21st October, as well as at The Grand Social,
Dublin on Saturday 22nd October, presented by Turing Pirate.
Tickets €20 (Cork) and €16 (Dublin) on sale
now from johnsmithjohnsmith.com
Known for his intimate songwriting, his honey-on-gravel voice and pioneering guitar
playing, John Smith has spent the last fifteen years touring internationally and has
amassed over 80 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.
John Smith says: “As long as I have been touring and releasing records, Ireland has
been the real touchstone. My audience has grown from those first bar gigs, fifteen
years ago, to headline shows across the country. I feel so fortunate to have found a
place in this musical country where I can play my songs to the best audience in the
world. The support I’ve received from radio & media has been so generous and
instrumental in making the whole thing work. I can’t wait to get back there and
sing these new songs to people I haven’t seen in three years.”
John Smith’s most recent album ‘The Fray’ - his sixth studio album - garnered praise
from folk music aficionados across the globe, with Americana UK saying, “Everything
about this album reaches deep.”
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. 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 thread throughout the album which beautifully compliments Smith’s
unmistakeable British Folk roots.
Connect with John Smith
www.johnsmithjohnsmith.com
- ENDS -
For more information
Sheena Madden, Amplify Agency
+353 87 245 8046
sheena@amplifyagency.ie
For interview requests please contact Sheena Madden at the details above.
Recommended radio track:
‘Star Crossed Lovers (feat. Lisa Hannigan)’