Sahara Smith | |
|---|---|
 Austin Music Awards (2011) | |
| Background information | |
| Born | September 26, 1988 |
| Origin | Austin, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Folk rock, alternative |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Playing In Traffic |
| Website | saharasmith |
Sahara Smith (born September 26, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter who released her debut album in 2010.
Sahara (her father hiccuped while suggesting "Sara," and both parties liked the mistake [1] ) Smith was born in Austin, Texas and spent her youth in Wimberley, Texas. She began writing poetry at age 3, with a poem published in the "Anthology of Poetry for Young Americans" while in the second grade, [1] music at age twelve and at age fifteen took second place in A Prairie Home Companion's 'Talent from 12-20' contest on May 8, 2004, performing "It Don't Rain Much" and "Twilight Red". [2] [3] [4] A studio recording of "Twilight Red" would be included on her debut album.
Producer T-Bone Burnett noticed Smith and took her into the studio to record her debut album, Myth of the Heart, which was released in 2010 and described as a "hybrid of folk, Americana, country and bluegrass". [5] [6] [7] Smith appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman in November 2010. [8] Smith says her musical influences include Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. [3]
In 2006 an Austin Chronicle music reporter said: "Her musical sophistication and the uncanny maturity of her lyrics astonished me" and she is "the most gifted young performer I've seen in 26 years." [9] A Seventeen article described her as a "striking, lanky redhead [who] exudes confidence and grace" and described her vocals as "a mixture of the soulful folk melodies of Jewel with the soothing vocals of Norah Jones”. [10]
A Los Angeles Times music reviewer said "Smith creates Cinemascope-like wide-screen portraits of romantic passion, loneliness and unrequited love in her richly impressive, intensely soulful debut album." [11] Other reviewers mention her "smoky voice, bluesy folk sound" [12] that "invokes lazy summer nights and sweaty slow dancing". [13]
In June 2013 she rebranded herself as "Girl Pilot" [14] and is working on a new 10-song album. "The name Girl Pilot comes from a book of comics from the 1940s called "Smilin' Jack and the Daredevil Girl Pilot" that I've had since I was 13. I've carried that name around with me for years, and because my new album is so different from the last, and so indicative of who I am now, this feels like the perfect moment to use it. I've never been so excited to do what I do, or felt so eager to take control of my life and my career. Girl Pilot feels somehow correct." [15]
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Rock | US Heat | US Indie | |||
| 2010 | Myth Of The Heart
| - | - | - | - | |
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "The Real Thing" | Rosalyn Rosen |
| 2010 | "Thousand Secrets" | Rosalyn Rosen |
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