Nate Smith

BIOGRAPHY

For nearly two decades, Nate Smith has been a key piece in reinvigorating the international music scene with his visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming. He holds a diverse and ample résumé, including work with esteemed jazz leading lights such as Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, José James, and Ravi Coltrane, as well as collaborations with Vulfpeck spinoff band The Fearless Flyers, Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes), Emily King, and Van Hunt.

“Drummer Nate Smith provides more than just a beat. He intentionally weaves nuanced rhythmic counterpoint in and out of his catchy melodies and dulcet harmonies,” said NPR Music for Smith’s Tiny Desk performance in 2017 in support of Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere. Hailed by All About Jazzas “a many-faceted jewel whose luster only grows with re-examination,” Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere was met by international acclaim, earning two GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Instrumental Composition” and “Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Capella.” Downbeat gave the album four stars, while the New York Times said, “all sorts of sounds participate in building the rhythm: taut but resonant bass notes, clipped guitar playing, zagging saxophone lines. The result is a sound that’s tart, bittersweet and almost nostalgic…and his drumming is a marvel unto itself.”

Smith – who recently relocated from New York City to Nashville, affording him recording opportunities with multi-instrumentalist Mike Elizondo, producer Dave Cobb, and singers Shania Twain and James Bay – followed Kinfolk: Postcards From Everywhere with projects including 2018’s breakbeat solo drums LP, Pocket Change, and last year’s R&B-infused EP, Light and Shadow.