Smith released his debut album, 12 Questions, on 30 October 2020. The record is based on a series of 12 questions all born of Smith’s own anxieties about the world, discussing issues such as faith, freedom, race, gender, wealth, equality and ecology. Smith collaborated with Dave, Kano, Ghetts, Bastille, Idris Elba and Stormzy.[2]
On 18 March 2021, Smith was presented with a RSL (Rockschool Ltd) Fellowship.[3] In August 2021, Dave and Smith were nominated for the Ivor Novello Awards 2021 in the Best Contemporary Song category for "Children of the Internet".[4] Dave and Smith subsequently won. This was their third Ivor Novello win in four years. The song is performed by Future Utopia. This was producer Smith’s new project and features Dave and Es Devlin.[5][6][7][8]
Career
Smith started his career playing guitar in pubs and clubs both as a solo musician and in bands.[9] In 1992, Smith met Rick Wakeman with whom he toured and recorded.[10] Smith then went on to work with Tony Hadley and Adam Wakeman.[11] In the mid-1990s, they formed Jeronimo Road, a progressive rock band. Smith then became involved in playing guitar in studio sessions, performing on over 200 records, including Rui da Silva's number one "Touch Me" and Tim Deluxe's "It Just Won't Do".[12][13]
In 1999, Smith was introduced to the then-unknown Craig David and spent five years working as his guitarist performing on television and radio, as well as at concerts including the John Lennon Tribute Concert at Radio City Hall in New York, the Tsunami Relief Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and Live 8, London.[14] They remixed songs together under the pseudonym of Treats and have written the songs "World Filled With Love", "6 of 1 Thing", and "Hot Stuff".[15]
In 2011, Smith won a Grammy Award for his work with Adele.[16]
In 2016, Smith was approached by grime and hip hop artist Stormzy.[24] They spent ten months writing and producing his debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, released independently through #Merky Records on 24 February 2017. The album was supported by the lead single "Big for Your Boots".
In 2018, Smith and the rapper Dave won an Ivor Novello Award for the track "Question Time".[26] In 2020, they won an Ivor Novello Award for the track "Black".[27]
