Smith & Myers, the duo comprised of Shinedown‘s Brent Smith and Zach Myers, have announced their new album Smith & Myers Volume 1. The album features five original songs and five re-imaginings of fan-submitted songs, including Post Malone‘s Better Now, INXS‘ Never Tear Us Apart, The Righteous Brothers‘ Unchained Melody and The Zutons‘ Valerie.
“We’ve spent a great deal of time and energy making sure this project is completely authentic,” comments Smith. “The main reason Smith & Myers exists has to do with the fans. A project that was born from multiple requests over the years, has now evolved into its true identity. Make no mistake – it’s about the songs, it’s about the story, and above all it’s about the message.”
The pair have also released two new tracks from the album: Not Mad Enough, which was written in the immediate aftermath of George Floyd‘s death to plea for racial justice; and a cover of Neil Young‘s Rockin’ In The Free World.
“It was an odd time to make a record at the beginning of a global pandemic, but the state of the world is reflected in the art we made on this album,” adds Myers. “It was some of the most creative times I’ve ever had as a musician or a songwriter. For the covers, we felt that we should approach them as a duo as if we had written the song modern day. With the originals, Brent and I had never discussed some of this subject matter before and we dug so deep while also touching on a world that’s rapidly changing around us the last eight months. We felt it would be disingenuous not to touch on social issues we ALL face as humans. We put a lot into this album and we truly hope you enjoy listening to it.”
Check out the video for Not Mad Enough below.
Not Mad Enough is available to stream or purchase HERE, while Rockin’ In The Free World is available to stream or purchase HERE.
Smith & Myers Volume 1 is due for release on 9th October 2020 via Atlantic Records, available to pre-order HERE.
