John Smith's HUMMINGBIRD Video Premieres At Billboard, New LP Out Now

UK-based critically-acclaimed folk maestro John Smith, whose brilliant new album Hummingbird was released on March 22nd via Commoner Records/Thirty Tigers, has unveiled a new video for the album's title track via Billboard. The video, directed by Simon Whitehead, depicts Smith traversing the beautiful countryside of Somerset, England with his guitar as he heads to a performance in a local pub, interspersed with scenes of a young woman, Adelie Lavail, dancing. "I just took a walk around the countryside where I live, and we found this fantastic dancer to flit in and out of sight, like the titular hummingbird," Smith told Billboard. "We decided to put as much of her in the video as possible. What she's doing is so visual and so satisfying to watch, just beautiful -- better than staring at me, right?" Getting the "right" video for "Hummingbird" was very important to Smith. "The song itself is really the catalyst for the whole album," he said of the song, one of three oringials on the album amidst traditional folk songs. "I didn't want to give it a title that belonged to something someone else wrote 100 years ago. So when I sat down to write, 'Hummingbird' came out of me really quickly, within an hour. It's the rare song that tumbled out, and I was lucky to capture all the pieces. As soon as it arrived I thought, 'This is the glue that's gonna hold the whole thing together.'"

WATCH: "HUMMINGBIRD"

Hummingbird, Smith's purest, most elegant set of recordings to date, is a moving mix of modern-day folk tunes and other traditional songs that reach as far back as the 15th century. "Some artists are a bit precious, when approaching old folk songs, not trusting the sturdiness with which they've survived hundreds of years of interpretation. Smith doesn't do that," said Folk Alley in its premiere of the album. "He wraps himself around them and them around him, tugging here and stretching there to make them fit his own needs, while never abandoning the heart of their matters. Two things hit the listener right away: Smith's singing and playing. He's exceedingly gifted at both," they remarked. "His honey voice is the raw, unfiltered sort - sweet, smooth, and healing, but with a hint of grit when you want it most." "Folklore must maintain an ongoing conversation between the past and present," PopMatters noted, "and that is what we hear in the beauty and mastery of Smith's playing."

LISTEN: HUMMINGBIRD

WATCH: JOHN SMITH AT PASTE STUDIOS

Smith, who has released five albums and toured the world for almost fifteen years playing as a session guitarist and singer for the likes of Joan Baez, Lisa Hannigan, and David Gray, became a folk devotee as a teenager after hearing artists like John Renbourn for the first time. Renbourn, a major inspiration and influence on Smith's art, has since dubbed the artist "the future of folk music."

"The six strings of my guitar have granted me access to a sacred space between things, the unconscious interweaving sensations that allow us that gentle buzz on hearing a good folk song," Smith explains of his journey. "I've been immeasurably fortunate to open for and even play with some of my heroes and influences in the folk world. Their work and their generosity of spirit have been a constant reminder that I must keep playing, recording and touring, no matter the cost," he continues. "There is always work to be done in the service of good music."

Hummingbird is available for download HERE. In support of the release, Smith is currently touring the US with artist Peter Mulvey, see below for a list of tour dates.

Photo Credit: Rose Cousins

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