Xander Smith

In June of 2020 my family and I were stuck at home, like everyone else, contained and  quarantined.

One day I opened our garage door and saw my daughter, then aged 10, riding her bike around in circles on our little driveway.

Then out came my beautiful wife to chase her around.  Giggling and Shrieking filled the air, and I kept hearing 'Momma can we play a little longer...'

So, I grabbed my Tele and out came 'Summer Song'.  Seeing a child innocence, that big smile, her long hair trying to catch up; all the worries of the world just started to fade away.

It was one of the sweetest, most special moments of my life.

I hadn't written anything for a while. My long time band was no more, the pandemic hit and there were no more live shows.  I'd got into a rut.

But this experience opened me back up. 

What surprised me most was the songs that would follow would be Country.

Sure, I had grown up Folk and Country adjacent artists like George Harrison, John Denver, Neil Young and James Taylor, but out was coming Glen Campbell, Marty Robbins, George Strait, Shania and a little Emmy Lou.

Hmm, I don't question any of it, I'm just grateful and thankful to be inspired and transmitting this spirit, and now I'm ready to hand these new borns over to the world.....