John Adam Smith Band

John Adam Smith is a multi-instrumentalist performer/songwriter with a love for World-Roots-Folk-Rock music. His live performance is a dynamic blend of original songs woven with acoustic and electric strings, slides, percussive grooves and mystical harmonies. Surrounded by an array of instruments, he generally has a guitar in his lap, a slide on his finger, bare feet on his homemade wooden stomp boxes, and an assortment of drums near at hand. From the pulse of his stomp box to his infectious melodies, you can't help but to get up and move..

John was raised at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains just bordering Missoula, MT. His father bought him his first drum when he was two years old. Inspired by his father and other artists like Duane Allman, Jerry Garcia, and Jimmy Hendrix, John started playing guitar when he was roughly 12 years old. John started filling notebook after notebook with songs he had written. When he was 17 he met another local guitar player and songwriter they started the a duo by the name of "Smitty and The Boss". Later a bass player and percussionist that studied Eastern Indian Tabla drums arrived and the band "CottonWood Draw" was formed. With there unique original material, and danceable live performances, they started getting noticed and developed quite a following. Opening for bands like Railroad Earth, Trampled by Turtles and Darkstar Orchestra.

Looking to broaden his musical abilities, John began to focus on his Solo Project. He had been studying Traditional West African drumming for quite a few years at this point and starting taking it quite seriously. Studying with Master Djembe players such as Dibo Camera, Abdoul Doumbia, and Mamady Keita.

"The influence on my music was extraordinary. These ancient rhythms infused my brain and opened my mind to an entire new world of music".

John started incorporating looping and playing drums with his live performances. Seeking new sounds and means to expand his songwriting, he started playing slide guitar and experimenting with open tunings. His exploration lead him to the disscovery of his new love for Lap steel, Dobro, and Weissenborn slide guitar. In March of 2012, John toured the Southeast coast of Australia and performed from Melbourne, Victoria to Sidney, New South Wales. The tour was a month long and throughout his journey John was fortunate enough to spend time with some of his most inspiring artists like Xavier Rudd, Harry Manx, and John Butler.

"I would say a lot of my songs are driven by life's humbling nature. It's ability to knock you down and lift you back up again. The constant reminder that this body will pass someday and this spirit will take flight to whatever grand adventure lies ahead. The wonderful thing is that these feelings are most given to me when I am away from the concrete. Feeling the wind on topof a mountain peak or rinsing my face with the sweet clean water from our rivers. This connection is what I thrive on. It is what keeps me writing and pushing through the walls that our society burdens us with. So many hardships and troubles we all see throughout our lives, and we must strive to stay positive and follow our dreams amongst the chaos".

John's 12 track, original world rock - acoustic roots debut album is on the road to completion and will be releasing early in 2013.

Aspiring to keep his heart open and mind ready for the changes life brings. John is in love with this chance to share his words with the wonderful folks that take the time to listen.