Listen: Shinedown's Smith & Myers announce album and premiere two tracks
'Smith & Myers Volume 1' is out this autumn
Shinedown frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers will release their debut studio album ‘Smith & Myers Volume 1’ on Friday 9th October 2020 via Atlantic Records.
The Shinedown duo first launched their eponymous offshoot project Smith & Myers in 2013 when they covered ten songs acoustically, including Metallica's ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and Adele's ‘Someone Like You’, and released them on two EPs ‘Acoustic Sessions’ and ‘Acoustic Sessions Pt. 2’ in early 2014.
Reviving their new project, ‘Smith & Myers Volume 1’ will feature 10 stripped back songs and consists of five original tracks together with five cover versions they cherry picked from fan submissions.
The covers are Neil Young’s 'Rockin’ In The Free World’, Post Malone’s ‘Better Now,’ INXS’ ‘Never Tear Us Apart,’ The Righteous Brothers’ ‘Unchained Melody’ and The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ (later covered by Amy Winehouse).
Listen to Smith & Myers’ cover of Neil Young’s 'Rockin’ In The Free World’:
As another taster for the album, Smith & Myers have also released the original track 'Not Mad Enough', which was written in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s death in May.
The song expresses the intense emotions that followed George Floyd’s killing and lay bare a plea for racial justice through direct, urgent lyrics over acoustic guitar.
Listen to Smith & Myers ‘Not Mad Enough’:
Commenting on ‘Smith & Myers Volume 1’, Brent Smith says: “We’ve spent a great deal of time and energy making sure this project is completely authentic. The main reason Smith & Myers exists has to do with the fans.
“A project that was born from multiple requests over the years, has now evolved into its true identity. Make no mistake - it’s about the songs, it’s about the story, and above all it’s about the message.”
Listen to Kerrang! Radio's lockdown interview with Brent Smith:
Zach Myers adds: “It was an odd time to make a record at the beginning of a global pandemic, but the state of the world is reflected in the art we made on this album. It was some of the most creative times I’ve ever had as a musician or a songwriter.
“For the covers, we felt that we should approach them as a duo as if we had written the song modern day. With the originals, Brent and I had never discussed some of this subject matter before and we dug so deep while also touching on a world that’s rapidly changing around us the last eight months. We felt it would be disingenuous not to touch on social issues we ALL face as humans. We put a lot into this album and we truly hope you enjoy listening to it.”
The ’Smith & Myers Volume 1’ track-listing is as follows:
1) Not Mad Enough
2) Rockin’ In The Free World
3) The Weight of It All
4) Better Now
5) Panic
6) Never Tear Us Apart
7) Coast To Coast
8) Valerie
9) Since You Were Mine
10) Unchained Melody