Hailing from the small town of Parkersburg, West Virginia, Jesse Smith of Jesse Smith & The Holy Ghost has experienced the ups and downs of the music industry for the last twenty years.
As a founding member of the seminal Christian metalcore act Zao, Jesse went on to sell thousands of records, tour the world with some of the biggest names in metal and influenced the sound of countless major heavy acts.
"Over the years I have struggled to find my place as a songwriter," explains Smith. "I'm a fan of heavy music, but I've always been into all types of stuff. When I began writing these songs, I just wrote from the heart, with no preconceived notions of what they would turn out to be but it’s been an amazing experience creating music and art with so many dear friends,” Smith says. “These songs are straight-up what I was looking to do. When I began, I wasn’t sure who I was, but now I know.
The band's first extended play quickly sold over 1,000 units, which gave Smith the inspiration to carry on with a proper full-length. Jesse Smith and The Holy Ghost recorded their self-titled debut at Michael Seifert's Ante Up Audio (Dave Matthews Band, Fountains of Wayne) while Brandon Zano produced and engineered the LP. Jesse Smith and The Holy Ghost was released July 8 via Standby Records.
While it is quite different than Smith's more well known work in Zao, the sound is heavy and the licks are solid. The new jams are still pretty metal in my opinion. If you dig what you hear, the band will be hitting the road with Islander. Those dates are below:
Jesse Smith & The Holy Ghost Tour Dates w/ Islander:
August 18 – Spartanburg, SC at Ground Zero
August 20 – Ocean Springs, MS at Mississippi Juke Joint
August 23 – Houston, TX at Scout Bar
August 24 – Lubbock, TX at Jake's Backroom
August 25 – Gallup, NM at The Juggernaut
August 26 – Scottsdale, AZ at Pub Rock
August 27 – Las Vegas, NV at Brooklyn Bowl
August 28 – San Diego, CA at Brick By Brick
