JOHN SMITH RELEASES EMOTIONAL SINGLE “CANDLE” FROM HIS FORTHCOMING ALBUM THE LIVING KIND TODAY
PEOPLE.COM EXCLUSIVELY PREMIERES THE LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO
AHEAD OF RELEASE (HERE)
JOHN PERFORMS AT FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL
PRIOR TO KICKING OFF HIS UK HEADLINING TOUR
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb 23, 2024) - Critically acclaimed Singer-songwriter/Guitarist John Smith is releasing his heartfelt new single “Candle” today. “Candle” is from John’s forthcoming album The Living Kind (Thirty Tigers/Commoner Records) which is set for release on March 15th. Written solely by John, the emotionally moving song was inspired by his father’s Alzheimer's diagnosis and the impact on family and caregivers. People.com exclusively premiered the track ahead of its release, calling it "breathtaking” (HERE). Listen to "Candle" here: https://orcd.co/candle
In his exclusive interview with People.com, John shared “I do hope that [‘Candle’] finds some people who are going through or have been through a similar experience of family illness or friends being ill…I hope it provides something to relate to, because [the role of caregiver] can be a very lonely experience.”
The intimate acoustic performance video for his new single “Candle” was filmed in the famous Cooper Hall in Frome, Somerset, view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEEU2TC5Yc0&feature=youtu.be
The Living Kind is the first body of new music since John’s sixth studio album The Fray, which helped him amass over 100 million streams on Spotify. “Candle” follows John’s title track “The Living Kind” and previously released song “The World Turns.” All three songs are included on his forthcoming album.
The Living Kind is a ten-track collection about putting life’s challenges into perspective and living life to the fullest. It highlights John’s generational guitar talent and unique synthesis of styles. Recorded entirely live in Maine and produced by Joe Henry (Lisa Hannigan, Rhiannon Giddens, Guy Pearce, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez), it is a gloriously subtle and moving contemporary body of work. The Living Kind follows his previously-released critically acclaimed album The Fray, which led John to a UK Americana Award nomination for Artist of The Year (2022) and UK Song of the Year (2022) for his single “Eye to Eye” (John Smith ft. Sarah Jarosz).
Named as “the future of folk music” by some of the Folk greats including John Martyn, Davy Graham and John Renbourn, John’s music has been featured by No Depression, American Songwriter, Billboard, Acoustic Guitar, The Guardian and more. John is currently on tour in support of his upcoming album and will be performing at Folk Alliance International this weekend prior to kicking off his UK headlining tour in April. For a full list of tour dates and more information visit, https://johnsmithjohnsmith.com/.
“Candle” Lyrics
It took me a while to see the change
Though it appeared as if from nowhere
I hadn’t a way to recognise it
Knew not of the cross we had to bear
Are you setting a fire, my loving vandal
I see you are heading for a fall
What if it’s more than you can handle
All the light spills on the table
And you’re burning out
You’re burning like a candle
There are days when I find it easy
And there are days I don’t find at all
When I reach for the hands that held me
And they’re waving at me as I fall
Wearing the burden like a saddle
The weight of the world and nothing more
What if it’s more than you can handle
All the light spills on the table
And you’re burning out
You’re burning like a candle
If I could let the world surround me
Find a way to share the load
Maybe it’s more than I can handle
All the light spills on the table
And I’m burning out
I’m burning like a candle
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