Dan Smith | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Daniel Campbell Smith |
Born | [1] London, England | 14 July 1986
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | |
Member of | Bastille |
Formerly of | Annie Oakley Hanging |
Website | bastillebastille |
Daniel Campbell Smith (born 14 July 1986) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as the founder, lead singer and primary songwriter of the English pop rock band Bastille. The band formed in 2010 and gained mass popularity in 2013 when the song "Pompeii" was released with their album Bad Blood . The band then released their second album, Wild World in September 2016. In June 2019, the band released their third album Doom Days . In February 2022, they released their fourth album Give Me the Future .
Smith attended King's College School in Wimbledon, London, and the University of Leeds in Leeds, West Yorkshire, where he graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature [2] while also writing about film and music for the Leeds student newspaper. A film obsessive from a young age, he originally wanted to be a director or editor until admitting he was "more of a fan than a filmmaker". [3]
At age fifteen, Smith started writing songs on the piano and his laptop in his bedroom, but kept his music secret from his friends and family until he was persuaded by a friend to enter the Leeds Bright Young Things competition in 2007, which he ultimately became a finalist in. [4] His early recordings included "Alchemy", "Words Are Words", "Irreverence", and "Dictator". Smith did not achieve mainstream success in his solo career but continued writing songs both alone and with his close friend and roommate Ralph Pelleymounter of the band To Kill a King. The two formed a side project called "Annie Oakley Hanging" which was described as "cowboy-like" by Pelleymounter. [5]
After finishing his studies, Smith returned to London, where he continued pursuing his solo career, and eventually formed Bastille with Chris "Woody" Wood, Kyle Simmons, and Will Farquarson. [6] Bastille has released four albums called Bad Blood , Wild World , Doom Days and Give Me the Future , the latest of which was released 4 February 2022.
In 2014, Dan Smith took part in the Band Aid charity single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?".
In 2015, Smith featured as vocalist for the song "La Lune", produced and written by the French electronic musician Madeon for his 2015 album Adventure. In the same year, Smith co-wrote and provided vocals on "Better Love" with Foxes, which was released 4 September 2015.
In 2017, he participated in the Grenfell Tower charity song, "Bridge Over Troubled Water".
Smith was part of the music video for the Charli XCX single "Boys" which was released on 26 July 2017.
He featured in the December 2017 ITV programme of The Nation's Favourite series which found out the nation's favourite Elton John song.
At the 2019 Brit Awards, Smith performed a duet with American artist, Pink, of her song, "Just Give Me a Reason", as part of her medley performance.
In November 2019, a cover of the REO Speedwagon song "Can't Fight This Feeling" sung by Smith was used in the John Lewis & Partners 2019 Christmas advert. [7]
Smith is a fan of the TV series Twin Peaks , and of one of its creators, David Lynch. [8] The show inspired one of his first recorded songs, "Laura Palmer" and Bastille's first Virgin Records single "Overjoyed". Smith has said that his earlier work was influenced by Regina Spektor. [9]
Smith writes and arranges some of Bastille's songs, apart from remixes and covers, and worked with friend Mark Crew to produce Bad Blood and Wild World . [10] He plays the piano, keyboard, percussion, and melodica. His original, "Dan Smith Piano" was stolen in 2010. [11] [ non-primary source needed ] Smith's parents are South African lawyers who met at university. [12]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Smith performed music live on Instagram, [13] [ non-primary source needed ] and also set up a film club named 'Distraction Tactics', inspired by different countries around the world; each week the club visits a different country and film. Its aim is to provide distraction and happiness to those in need of some relief from social distancing and isolation. [14]
Paper Route is an American experimental indie rock and indie pop band from Nashville, Tennessee formed in 2004. It consists of JT Daly, Chad Howat, and Nick Aranda (guitars). The band has released three full-length albums and several EPs.
Can't Maintain is the third studio album by AJJ.
Bastille are a British indie pop band formed in 2010. The group began as a solo project by lead vocalist Dan Smith, but later expanded to include keyboardist Kyle Simmons, bassist and guitarist Will Farquarson and drummer Chris "Woody" Wood.
"Pompeii" is a song by British pop rock band Bastille. It is the fourth single from their debut studio album Bad Blood and was released on 11 January 2013. The song's title and lyrics refer to the Roman town of the same name that was destroyed and buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Bad Blood is the debut studio album by English band Bastille. It was released on 4 March 2013 in the United Kingdom, and on 3 September 2013 in the United States, and features the singles "Overjoyed", "Bad Blood", "Flaws", "Pompeii", "Laura Palmer", "Things We Lost in the Fire" and "Oblivion". The album was recorded in London and produced by Mark Crew and the band's lead singer Dan Smith.
"Laura Palmer" is a song by British band Bastille. It is the fifth single from their debut studio album Bad Blood, and the follow-up to their hit single "Pompeii". The song was originally released in 2011 as a track from their self-released EP of the same name. It was re-released as its own digital download on 2 June 2013. It peaked at number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. The song took its name from the character in David Lynch and Mark Frost's TV series Twin Peaks.
The discography of Bastille, a British indie pop band, consists of four studio albums, one live album, twelve extended plays, thirty-three singles and thirty-one music videos. Originally a solo project by Dan Smith, Bastille was formed in 2010. The band released its debut single "Flaws" / "Icarus" in July 2011 on the independent record label Young and Lost Club. An extended play titled Laura Palmer followed later that year. The critical success of the EP and extensive touring brought the group to the attention of Virgin Records, which signed them in December 2011.
Royal Blood is an English rock duo formed in Worthing in 2011. The current lineup consists of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher (drums). Their signature sound is built around Kerr's bass playing style, which sees him using various effects pedals and amps to make his bass guitar sound like an electric guitar and bass guitar at the same time. The duo were signed by Warner Chappell Music in 2013 and have since released four studio albums: Royal Blood (2014), How Did We Get So Dark? (2017), Typhoons (2021), and Back to the Water Below (2023).
Haunt is an EP by English indie pop band Bastille. It was released exclusively to the United States in May 2013 digitally and July 2013 physically. It features three songs from their debut album Bad Blood. It also features a demo track, the title track of the EP, that was originally the B-side to the "Bad Blood" single. The EP peaked at number 104 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Heatseekers chart.
"Oblivion" is a song by British band Bastille from their 2013 album Bad Blood. It was released digitally in the UK on 5 September 2014 as the eighth overall and final single from the album. A limited edition 7-inch vinyl edition of the single, featuring the previously unreleased track "Bad News" as the B-side, was also released on 8 September.
Other People's Heartache is a series of mixtapes by Bastille. The first was released in February 2012, the second in December 2012, the third in December 2014, and the fourth in December 2018.
Mark Crew is a songwriter, record producer, and mix engineer based in London, known for his work with Bastille, Lovejoy, Rag'n'Bone Man, and the Wombats.
"Blame" is a song by English indie pop band Bastille. It was released on 30 September 2016 as the third single from their second studio album, Wild World (2016). The song was written by Dan Smith, who handled the production along with Mark Crew.
The Hunna is an English indie rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire, formed in 2015. The band members are singer/guitarist Ryan (Tino) Potter, lead guitarist Daniel Dorney and drummer Jack (IK) Metcalfe. The band takes inspiration from a wide range of sources, including bands like Kings Of Leon, Foals, The 1975, You Me at Six and Queen.
Bad Wolves is an American heavy metal band formed in 2017. Initially finding fame from their first single, a cover of the Cranberries' 1994 hit "Zombie", the band proceeded to find further success with a number of songs topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock songs chart, including "Remember When", "Killing Me Slowly", and "Sober". The band has released three studio albums, Disobey (2018), N.A.T.I.O.N. (2019) and Dear Monsters (2021). In January 2021, original lead vocalist Tommy Vext left the band and was replaced by Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz. Tensions ensued between Vext and the band, resulting in legal proceedings including Better Noise Music.
"Quarter Past Midnight" is a song by English indie pop band Bastille. It was released on 9 May 2018 as the lead single from their third studio album, Doom Days (2019). The song was written by Dan Smith, who handled the production along with Mark Crew.
Doom Days is the third studio album by British indie pop band Bastille, released on 14 June 2019 by Virgin EMI Records. It was preceded by the release of the four singles "Quarter Past Midnight", "Doom Days", "Joy" and "Those Nights", and followed by "Another Place". "Those Nights" was premiered on Beats 1 with Zane Lowe on 4 June 2019. The band played music festivals in the UK and across Europe from May to August 2019 in support of the album. An extended version of the album was released in 6 December 2019 with 11 extra tracks.
"Doom Days" is a song by English indie pop band Bastille. It was released on 25 April 2019 as the second single from their third studio album, Doom Days (2019). The song was written by Dan Smith, who handled the production along with Mark Crew and Daniel Priddy.
"Those Nights" is a song by English indie pop band Bastille. It was released on 4 June 2019 as the fourth single from their third studio album, Doom Days (2019). The song was written by Dan Smith, who handled the production along with Mark Crew.
Diviner is the debut studio album by English musician Hayden Thorpe. It was released on 24 May 2019 by Domino Recording Company.