Exclusive: Myles Smith on family, music and breaking the mould
By Sarah Tetteh
When it comes to breaking boundaries in music, no-one does it better than Myles Smith.
If the world has been blown away by Beyonce’s cross-over from RnB diva to Country queen, wait till you meet Myles Smith.
A true diamond who has won over his army of fans through his unique style, Myles, 25, has stayed true to himself and has been inspired by legendary artists from Coldplay to Ed Sheeran.
The singer-songwriter, who is used to lighting up London’s stages, is the man behind streaming sensations ‘Solo’ and ‘My Home’. He has signed to RCA Records and has released his new track ‘River’ from his debut EP ‘You Promised A Lifetime’ out March 29th.
Speaking exclusively to South London Press’ Showbiz, Myles said: “Breaking boundaries!
“Well, my genre, without sounding full of myself, is really just good music.
“Playing the guitar is really down to the fact I listened to a lot of folk and rock growing up.
“Listening to Coldplay and Ed Sheeran, who are household names and then just adding my life and experiences into my music.”
Speaking about breaking the mould, he said: “It’s been my life journey. Growing up in a single-parent family, one of the first to go to a Russell Group University, one of the first to consult for the EU, and with music, I’ve always wanted to do what people haven’t expected me to do.
“I think music is another way of doing that. My family has helped teach me not to follow the narrative, but to create my own path. I love guitar, I love country, I love rock, and I’m going to do that, despite my identity.”
Myles’ work has been a labour of love, and he’s by no means an overnight success. A guitar player from the age of nine, is a passionate studier of the craft of composition, and his skills with a relatable lyric and ear worm melody have already earned him 90 million global streams and a massive online following.
Just like another of his faves, South London’s Stormzy, Myles’ never has to worry about getting ‘too big for his boots.’
“I’ve got a family of Jamaican heritage, and people ask me how do I not get too egotistical or lose my head – it’s because they keep me grounded.’ he laughs.
Over the last year, Myles’ profile has sky-rocketed as he’s released a string of original tracks and captivating covers that mix folk, Americana and pop.
His dedicated fanbase is evident, with over 548K followers on Instagram, 5.7million monthly listeners on Spotify and almost 800K followers on TikTok. If that wasn’t enough, his current ‘The Not So Lonely’ UK, EU and US tour has completely sold out, making his EP one of the most hotly anticipated releases from his army of fans who have been there singing his praises.
Trust me, so is the rest of South London. Go on Myles, can’t wait to see what’s next.
Pictured top: Myles is making waves with his epic tracks, his EP ‘You Promised Me A Lifetime’ is out on March 29 (Picture: RCA Records)