Bluesman Smith launches new album

Navan songwriter also signs three-year deal

Meath singer, songwriter, and harmonica player, Paddy Smith, who has built up a big reputation both at home and abroad as a highly accomplished bluesman, has released his new album - Could Have Found Grace.

It was launched via Tribeca Records.

Smith, who signed a three-year distribution deal with Tribeca, worked on the album along with some of the best-known and accomplished musicians on the Irish scene including:

• Aongus Ralston (bass, The Waterboys)

• Jason Duffy (drums, The Corrs)

• James Delaney (keys, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Chuck Berry)

• Danny Tobin (guitar, The Business Blues Band).

In a recent article in the Nashville Music Guide, Smith was praised for his "soulful voice, electrifying stage presence, and unflinching honesty" and how he had "become one of Ireland’s most compelling modern blues storytellers."

The article also pointed out how the Navan man has been around for some time creating his own brand of blues.

"A veteran of the Irish music scene, he has carried his harmonica and songs across decades of change, never losing sight of the grit and spirit that defined the tradition, " the article reads.

"Where others bend to trends, Smith holds the line for raw, unvarnished rock and blues — proof that Ireland still produces artists who carry the weight of the past and the urgency of the present in equal measure."

Could Have Found Grace is the latest collection of songs from Smith. Previous productions include: Let Those Blues In (2013) and The Devil’s Backyard (2023, Mo Mojo Records).

In this album Smith explores themes such as the pain of losing a loved one, resilience and finding a form of redemption.

Smith worked closely with Tobin in preparing the ground for the album before going into the Hellfire Studios in Dublin where the songs were recorded over a number of intense days with his band of accomplished musicians.

“The process was completely organic, nothing felt forced,” says Smith. “We trusted the songs to lead us, and in that raw, instinctive flow the album began to take shape.”

The recored was produced by Ivan Jackman, with artwork by Alfredo Kuna.

"Celebrated for his honesty and soul, Smith’s music cuts through with passion and purpose. Whether he’s singing about struggle, love, or redemption, he embodies the timeless spirit of blues rock — one foot in the heartland of tradition, the other in the pulse of modern Ireland," continues the article in the Nashville Music Guide.

"Paddy Smith is proof that the blues, in the right hands, never go out of style."

The official website for Paddy Smith may be found at https://www.paddysmith.net