Darden Smith
b. 11 March 1962, Brenham, Texas, USA. Smith is among a clutch of singer-songwriters to have emerged from Texas during the mid-80s. He wrote his first songs at the age of 10, but began to take music seriously once his family moved to Houston when he was 13. His influences range from Guy Clark to Townes Van Zandt and Bob Dylan, or as he has said, "Anyone who can tell a story." He changed his name to Darden, after a local rodeo star, at the start of his career in the mid-80s. The Texas independent Redi Mix Records released his first album, Native Soil, in 1986, which included his most notable early composition, "Two Dollar Novels', featuring Nanci Griffith on guest vocals. This led to a move to Epic Records, where his self-titled second album, produced by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel, included another version of that song. However, the rest of the album saw him move away from the folk/country style that had dominated his debut, as Smith reached instead into new musical territory. Smith was released from his contract with the Nashville-based Epic label to join the main CBS Records label in New York. Before this happened, however, Smith had partnered UK singer Boo Hewerdine on a jointly billed album for Ensign Records. Hewerdine also guested on Smith's debut for CBS, 1990"s Trouble No More. Arguably his best album, it again caused a mixed reaction owing to the sustained move away from his country roots. By now he was refusing to play older material (notably the perennially popular "Two Dollar Novels') live on stage and 1993"s Little Victories was essentially a rock album. That it was also a very good one passed by many critics, confused by the direction of this talented but idiosyncratic artist, who by now was also the resident composer for the Johnson/Long Dance Company.
Listen to Darden Smith
at Finetune.
Albums
- (1993) Little Victories
- (1988) Darden Smith
Top Tracks
- Loving Arms
- Fall Apart At the Seams
- Little Victories
- Coldest Winter
- Hole In The River
Related Artists