Smiley - Hotvox

About

Born in 1989, Smiley spent the first few years of his life in West London. His family were always on the move, and he found himself growing up in parts of Manchester, Birmingham, Aylesbury and Leicester. Whilst the majority of his teens were spent away from his natural family (he was sent to a Christian boarding school from age 11), he embraced the sounds of artists like Woody Guthrie and The Clash as a way of escaping from his

surroundings. During his time in North Birmingham, he discovered the sounds of rebel music, with Gregory Isaacs, Joy Division, Big Youth and Bob Dylan amongst his influences.

With a devastating blend of Folk, Reggae and Punk, and a tragic-comic outlook on life in 21st century Britain, Smiley cut his teeth on the city streets as a busker, taking his first steps into performance and song-writing. As lead singer of The Screaming Bluejays and later as a solo artist, he shared a stage with artists like Billy Bragg, Frank Turner and Danny Suarez at festivals such as The Big Chill, Strummer of Love, Nova and The Bearded Loon Festival.

Now currently hard at work in the studio with his band, The Underclass, Smiley’s debut EP is due for release in 2013.