Joana Smith

Jo Smith is like many people in that sometimes she has sad dreams and sometimes she dreams she can fly. She started singing and entertaining crowds at 4 with songs that might tell the story of you or me, but it was not until she left rural Texas with a fresh degree in her pocket that she decided to take it on full time. After recording her first album, The Antagonist (2000), Jo moved to NYC to begin playing in restaurants and coffeehouses. There she attracted the attention of Pittsburgh DJ, Luke Glenn, who then featured her on his show for new artists, Impact Live. Shortly after, Jo was offered the position as artist-in-residence at a church in London, England, where among her duties of writing children’s object lessons, painting murals and starting a church in a pub, she continued her songwriting. After completing her second album, Anything You Want (2002), She began getting national attention as a songwriter. She was accepted as a finalist in the prestigious Kerrville NewFolk Competition.

Since becoming a stand-out amongst the ranks of the infamous Boston singer/songwriter community she has begun to tour nationally performing at such venues as the Point in Philadelphia, The Susquehanna Music Festival and has show-cased at the legendary Club Passim.

In 2003, she compiled “Bright Orange Notepad,” a book/cd narrative of her disheartening and hilarious experiences temping at the corporate offices of a bank. Her song, “Dark World” was featured on a new talent compilation for Pickwick Records, and golfers swing there clubs to her song “My, Oh My” in the Deerfield Golf Course commercials in California.

Many of Joana's songs are written to reflect her journal entries and she creates packaged materials that reflect the visual elements contained in them: drawings, handmade books and collector's edition CD cases.