Nashville, Tennessee
Singer-Songwriter

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BIOGRAPHY

No one—least of all Mindy Smith—expected her career to start like this.
As a contemporary singer-songwriter determined to record her music in a style that suits her self-written songs, Smith figured she ’d start her recording career quietly and work to build it slowly. She didn’t expect to make a big, attention- grabbing splash right away. She certainly didn’t expect to gain exposure on late-night talk shows and cable music specials before her debut album came out.

But every once in a while the arrival of a remarkable talent gets the reception it deserves. Before releasing her debut album, One Moment More, Smith had already performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She appeared with a list of superstars on the Lifetime Network’s Women Rock special. She had a video in top rotation on CMT. And she had the lead-off single on the acclaimed Dolly Parton tribute album, Just Because I’m a Woman, which also had contributions from Norah Jones, Sinéad O ’Connor, Melissa Etheridge, Alison Krauss and others. “My head’s spinning,� Smith says. “It’s all been so far beyond my expectations. It’s been unbelievable,really. I feel blessed.�

But maybe Smith and her supporters shouldn’t have been so surprised. After all,she ’d encountered similar over-the-top excitement when record labels and producers first heard her songs. At one point, Smith held meetings and fielded offers from several major labels. She responded by spelling out her priorities. “I told everyone the same thing, that even though I live in Nashville I don’t consider myself a country artist, but a singer-songwriter and I wanted to present myself as I am, “she says. “I wanted the record to sound as much like my live performances as possible. I didn ’t want somebody else’s stamp on it. I didn’t want a producer to give me his sound. I didn’t want to spend two years waiting until someone thought I had a No.1 single before they put my record out. That’s not why I make music. What I care about are my songs.�

LEVEL

professional

PUBLISHING COMPANY

Big Yellow Dog, independent publishing company

P.R.O.

BMI

INSTRUMENTS

guitar

INFLUENCES

The Cure, The Sundays, Sarah Vaughan,Patty Griffin,the Carpenters, Ella Fitzgerald,Blue Mother Tupelo, Buddy Miller,Julie Miller, Alison Krauss, Susan Ashton, Depeche Mode, Bjork, Coldplay, Dolly Parton, Koop, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, Aretha Franklin, Fiona Apple,Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, U2, Michael Jackson, Robert Johnson, Blondie, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Madonna, Prince, Nina Simone, Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Sade, Eurythmics, Eva Cassidy, Stevie Wonder, Lee Ann Womack, Ryan Adams, Shawn Colvin, Rufus Wainright, Susan Tedeschi, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bob Dylan,Elivis Costello,Shelby Lynne Sting, Amy Grant, Loreena McKennitt, Anuna, Beth Nielson Chapman, Doc Watson, Suzanne Cox,Maura O'Connell, Bruce Springsteen, Sarah Harmer,Kathleen Edwards

I AM INTERESTED IN

in networking with songwriters
in pitching songs to artist
in pitching songs to tv

I WRITE:

For a living

I Also Write:
by myself
for myself

I Prefer To Write:
lyrics
melody
music

experience >

SONG CUTS

If I Didn't Know Any Better - Allison Krauss

SONG PLACEMENTS

- Fall For Nothing Grey's Anatomy - Season 3 : What I Am (10/12/06) V for Vendetta (03/17/06) - Falling Grey's Anatomy - Season 3 : What I Am (10/12/06) Smallville - Season 4 : Scare (12/01/04) - One Moment More Grey's Anatomy - Season 3 : What I Am (10/12/06) Smallville - Season 3 : Covenant (2) (05/19/04) Smallville - Season 5 : Reckoning (01/26/06)

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

2004 Americana Awards Best New/Emerging Artist of the Year (Won)

OTHER SONG OR ALBUM CREDITS

Dolly Parton sang with Mindy on her version of Dolly's song "Jolene". MIndy has appeared on Jay Leno, Conan and the Morning Show. She has also hit the top 10 on CMT and GAC with the her videos "Come To Jesus" and "Jolene" and has had her videos played including "One Moment More" on VH1 ones to watch. Mindy has performed with Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Dolly Parton, Buddy Miller, Lucinda Williams and has written w/ Amy Grant.

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Q&A: Bright Eyes

After a brief stint as a solo artist, Conor Oberst has revived Bright Eyes to release The People’s Key, an album that deals with the nature of time, spirituality, and human existence. Also, it’s Rastafarian friendly.

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Robbie Robertson

As a member of The Band, Robbie Robertson changed the course or rock music history, hipping the genre to a more old-timey sound with songs like “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” His latest solo album, How To Become Clairvoyant, reflects on his rock and roll past.

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Taylor Swift: The Garden In The Machine

“Country music is truly music for everyone,” said Tim McGraw, as he and his wife Faith Hill prepared to announce the Country Music Association’s 2009 “Entertainer of the Year” award. “And that’s never been more apparent than with the diversity of tonight’s nominees.”

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Alison Krauss: The Golden Girl

These days, many Nashville-based artists co-write their own material with big name songwriters so they can share a piece of the royalty pie in times of declining CD sales. But the truth is, a lot of those co-writes can’t match the work of people whose calling in life is to create high-quality songs above anything else.