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Dan Smith | |
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Dan | |
Information | |
Full Name | Daniel Campbell Smith |
Born | July 14, 1986 (age 36) London |
Role in the band | Lead Singer/Primary Songwriter |
Website | https://twitter.com/bastilledan |
Daniel Campbell "Dan" Smith (born 14 July 1986) is an English singer-songwriter; Is the lead vocalist, producer, songwriter and founder of the band Bastille. The band formed in 2010 and gained major popularity in 2013 when the song "Pompeii" was released.
Early life[]
Dan was born on Bastille Day in London on the 14th July, 1986. His parents come from South Africa.[1] He also has an older sister. He went to Kings College School in Wimbledon. He continued his studies at University of Leeds, where he studied English Literature.
Dan began writing songs at age 15 on the piano and his laptop in his bedroom, but kept it a secret from his friends and family until he was discovered by a friend who stumbled upon him producing music from his student digs and entered him for a local competition for which the prize was studio recording time and performing a gig.[2]
Career[]
Solo and Randalph[]
Dan did not achieve mainstream success in his solo career. Some of his recordings included "Alchemy", "Words Are Words", and "Irreverence". He continued writing songs both alone and with his bf (big frog), and room-mate, Ralph Pelleymounter from To Kill a King. The two formed a side project called "Annie Oakley's Hanging", which was described as "cowboy like" by Pelleymounter.[2] Their songs included "Cut Her Down" and "Owen". The project is said to be brought back for a new recording, which will be released in the end of 2014.
Bastille[]
Chris Wood (drummer) wanted to become a drum teacher and handed out flyers. Smith's mother found one and showed her son. Wood and Smith then regularly met up and played together for roughly a year. They then realized that they needed a bassist and keyboard player. William Farquarson, (bassist) then joined. He was asked if he also knew how to sing and play the keyboard, which he didn't, but he said yes so he could join the band. Kyle Simmons (keyboard player) met Smith at a party and when Dan found out he could play the keyboard. Dan constantly asked Kyle if he would join the band. After multiple attempts, Simmons agreed and is now enjoying being part of the band Bastille. Bastille is a great band
He has worked with various artists such as American rapper Angel Haze, Californian band HAIM, British singer-songwriters Ella Eyre and Gabrielle Aplin as well as British DJ Naughty Boy.
Influences[]
Dan grew up listening to his sister's Lauryn Hill and Jurassic 5 albums, and his South African parents' [3]collection of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Simon & Garfunkel which inspired his first attempts at composing songs. Dan is a massive fan of the television TV series Twin Peaks, and one of its creators, David Lynch. The show inspired one of his first recorded songs, "Laura Palmer" and Bastille's first Virgin Records single "Overjoyed". Smith has previously said that his earlier work was heavily influenced by artists such as Regina Spektor.
Personal life[]
Smith is good friends with the members of rock band To Kill A King. He writes and arranges all of Bastille's songs, apart from remixes and covers, and worked with friend Mark Crew to produce Bad Blood. He plays many instruments including the piano, keyboard, percussion, and melodica. Smith's parents come from South Africa and his song "Durban Skies" is said to be dedicated to them. The song tells the story of how his parents met, fell in love, and got married.
Gallery[]
References[]
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Bastille | ||
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Albums | Bad Blood · Wild World · Doom Days | |
Mixtapes | Other People's Heartache · Other People's Heartache Pt. II · VS. (Other People's Heartache, Pt. III) · Other People's Heartache Pt. 4 | |
Reissues | All This Bad Blood | |
EPs | Laura Palmer · Haunt | |
Singles | Flaws/Icarus · Overjoyed · Bad Blood · Flaws · Pompeii · Laura Palmer · Things We Lost in the Fire · Of the Night · Oblivion · Torn Apart · Good Grief · Send Them Off! · Blame · Glory · World Gone Mad · Quarter Past Midnight · Happier · Grip · Doom Days · Joy · Those Nights | |
Promo singles | Laughter Lines | |
Unreleased | Bad Taste · To The Sky · Hours · Look The Other Way · Secrets | |
Tours | Bad Blood Tour · Wild, Wild World Tour · ReOrchestrated Tour · Still Avoiding Tomorrow Tour | |
Current members | Dan Smith · Kyle Simmons · Will Farquarson · Chris "Woody" Wood | |
Touring members | Charlie Barnes | |
Related | Discography · List of Bastille songs · Annie Oakley Hanging · I Know You |