Bio

It is not unusual for an artist to anticipate the release of a new project as he would the birth of a child. The process of creation is labor intensive, and the unpredictable nature of what will occur when the "child" is born from the studio and released into the world provokes excitement and anxiety. Looking at the timing of singer-songwriter William Smith's first three independent CD releases, one might suggest that he has taken metaphor to a new level, releasing his CDs in conjunction with major "births" in his life.

Smith's 1997 debut, Looking Forward to Looking Back, appeared months after Smith wed his wife, Devon—their courtship documented in several tracks on that album. He followed that release with 1999's Unvarnished, which appeared in boxes on Smith's doorstep virtually the same day his wife delivered their first child. Now, nearly 10 years after recording his first CD, Smith releases Living Will, delivering it into the world just months after the birth of his and Devon's third child. While a pattern seems established, Smith insists there is no intention behind the uncanny timing of his three CD releases, admitting only that they do loosely chronicle the path of his life.

Looking Forward to Looking Back reveals a young man's journey to love as he strives to establish a place for himself in the world. The social commentary and humor that Smith would develop in live shows and in later projects appears in small doses, as does his literary side. The album took advantage of new technology at the time, allowing Smith and engineer Kevin Waehner the flexibility of arranging and recording that album themselves in a home studio.

Released two years later, Unvarnished documents the live sound that Smith had been honing in coffee houses and clubs throughout the East. Literature and narrative become the focus of the songwriting, as Smith, a high school English teacher, and his guitar tell 12 intimate stories of love, life, and inspiration.

Celebrating what has come before, what is, and what might lay ahead, Living Will returns Smith to the folk-pop roots that have long-sustained his songwriting. The 13-track CD includes seven never-before recorded original songs; four songs from his first two releases, re-imagined and newly recorded; and two favorite cover songs. The CD features a full range of backing musicians and documents a relaxed and playful energy not fully realized on the first two albums. At times humorous, tongue in cheek, and downright ridiculous, Smith's tunes on Living Will also capture the ache of adolescence, the pain of loss and the many facets of love.

Living Will is all about Smith's songwriting and the musical journey that has taken him from student and college performer to teacher, husband, father of three—and performer. Returning listeners will find familiar the acoustic guitar and tenor voice that have drawn comparisons to James Taylor and John Denver. Listeners new to Smith's music will notice songwriting free of cliché, but full of careful observation and honest confession. Smith's songs continue to display his literary sensibility and penchant for irony, and his unassuming musical presence and intimate style welcome all listeners into a carefully crafted musical landscape that balances the subtleties of musical and lyrical detail.

When he is not teaching English literature, Smith travels throughout the Northeast's best bookstores, cafes, and acoustic music venues playing his brand of intelligent folk-pop and has opened for nationally acclaimed performer Greg Greenway at the Minstrel Coffeehouse in Morristown, New Jersey. His song "Rye Fields" was a semi-finalist in the First International "Songs Influenced by Literature" contest, and appeared on two Oasis Acoustic samplers. William Smith's albums are available nationally from major online retailers, including CD Baby, iTunes, and Amazon.com.