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Fraser T. Smith

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Fraser T. Smith
Smith in March 2018
Smith in March 2018
Background information
Also known asFuture Utopia
Born (1971-02-08) 8 February 1971 (age 53)
Buckinghamshire, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • bass
  • drums
  • keyboards
Years active1995–present
Labels
  • 70Hz
  • My Audiotonic
Websitefrasertsmith.com

Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith (born 8 February 1971), known professionally as Fraser T. Smith, is an English record producer, songwriter and musician. Some of the singles he collaborated on include Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain", James Morrison's "Broken Strings", Tinchy Stryder's "Number 1" and Taio Cruz's "Break Your Heart".[1] In 2016, Smith teamed up with Stormzy to produce his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer, which won Best Album at the 2018 Brit Awards. Earlier that year he produced seven tracks on Kano's Made in the Manor album and co-produced the debut EP from South London rapper Dave. Smith has also worked with Sam Smith.

Smith released his debut album, 12 Questions, on 30 October 2020. The record is based on a series of 12 questions all born of Smith’s own anxieties about the world, discussing issues such as faith, freedom, race, gender, wealth, equality and ecology. Smith collaborated with Dave, Kano, Ghetts, Bastille, Idris Elba and Stormzy.[2]

On 18 March 2021, Smith was presented with a RSL (Rockschool Ltd) Fellowship.[3] In August 2021, Dave and Smith were nominated for the Ivor Novello Awards 2021 in the Best Contemporary Song category for "Children of the Internet".[4] Dave and Smith subsequently won. This was their third Ivor Novello win in four years. The song is performed by Future Utopia. This was producer Smith’s new project and features Dave and Es Devlin.[5][6][7][8]

Career

Smith started his career playing guitar in pubs and clubs both as a solo musician and in bands.[9] In 1992, Smith met Rick Wakeman with whom he toured and recorded.[10] Smith then went on to work with Tony Hadley and Adam Wakeman.[11] In the mid-1990s, they formed Jeronimo Road, a progressive rock band. Smith then became involved in playing guitar in studio sessions, performing on over 200 records, including Rui da Silva's number one "Touch Me" and Tim Deluxe's "It Just Won't Do".[12][13]

In 1999, Smith was introduced to the then-unknown Craig David and spent five years working as his guitarist performing on television and radio, as well as at concerts including the John Lennon Tribute Concert at Radio City Hall in New York, the Tsunami Relief Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, and Live 8, London.[14] They remixed songs together under the pseudonym of Treats and have written the songs "World Filled With Love", "6 of 1 Thing", and "Hot Stuff".[15]

In 2011, Smith won a Grammy Award for his work with Adele.[16]

In 2012, Smith was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for his writing on "Broken Strings".[17] In 2015, Smith was nominated for Album of the Year in the 57th Grammy Awards for his contribution to Sam Smith's album In the Lonely Hour.[18]

Between 2013 and 2016, Smith worked with longtime collaborator Kano on his album Made in the Manor, which was subsequently shortlisted for the 2016 Mercury Prize[19] and nominated for Album of the Year at the 2017 Brit Awards.[20][21] It went on to win Best Album at the MOBO Awards.[22]

Smith also collaborated with Mexican duo Jesse & Joy on their album Un Besito Más, which was released in December 2015. At the 17th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album received the nomination for Album of the Year and won for Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album.[23]

In 2016, Smith was approached by grime and hip hop artist Stormzy.[24] They spent ten months writing and producing his debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer, released independently through #Merky Records on 24 February 2017. The album was supported by the lead single "Big for Your Boots".

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith produced the Live Lounge Allstars' charity version of the Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", featuring twenty-four musicians recorded from their homes.[25]

In 2018, Smith and the rapper Dave won an Ivor Novello Award for the track "Question Time".[26] In 2020, they won an Ivor Novello Award for the track "Black".[27]

Discography

Studio album

Details
Title Album details
12 Questions

Selected song writing and production credits

Year Artist Title Type Peak chart position
2018 Tom Grennan Lighting Matches Album (track "Sober") UK #5
2018 Calum Scott Only Human Album (7 tracks inc. "You are The Reason") UK #4; US #66
2018 Ramz "Family Tree" Single UK #35
2019 Anne-Marie Speak Your Mind Album (track "You Are The Reason") UK #3; US #31
2019 Dave feat. Fredo "Funky Friday" Single UK #1
2019 Dave Psychodrama Album (6 tracks) UK #1
2019 Tiesto, Jonas Blue & Rita Ora "Ritual" Single US Hot Dance #13; UK #24
2019 Stormzy Heavy is the Head Album (4 tracks) UK #1
2020 Raye Euphoric Sad Songs Mini-album (track "Please Don't Touch")
2020 Live Lounge Allstars "Times Like These" (cover) Single ("Live Lounge Allstars charity single") UK #5[29]
2021 Mysie Undertones EP
2021 Easy Life Life's A Beach Album (2 tracks including "Nightmares") UK #2
2021 Kasabian "Alygatyr" Single

Awards and nominations

Award show Year Category Work Result Ref(s)
Grammy Awards 2012 Album of the Year 21 (Adele) Won [30]
2015 In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith) Nominated
Ivor Novello Awards 2018 Track of the Year "Question Time" (Dave) Won [26]
2020 Track of the Year "Black" (Dave) Won [27]
2021 Best Contemporary Song "Children of the Internet" Won [5]

References

  1. ^ "— The Manifesto". Themanifesto.co. 26 March 2014. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  2. ^ "Stewart, Rev. Hugh Fraser, (1863–23 Jan. 1948), Emeritus Reader in French; Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge; Fellow of Eton College; Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur", Who Was Who, Oxford University Press, 1 December 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u232220, retrieved 26 October 2021
  3. ^ "RSL Honorary Fellowship: Fraser T Smith". RSL Awards. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Nominations announced for The Ivors with Apple Music 2021". The Ivors Academy. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b Wynter, Courtney (21 September 2021). "Fraser T Smith, Dave & Es Devlin's 'Children Of The Internet' Wins 2021 Ivor Novello For Best Contemporary Song". GRM Daily. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Celeste, Obongjayar, Dave and Fraser T Smith win at Ivor Novello awards 2021". The Line of Best Fit. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  7. ^ Edmonds, Lizzie (21 September 2021). "Harry Styles among first-time winners at Ivor Novello Awards". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  8. ^ "The Ivors 2021: Full Winners List". headlinermagazine.net. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Fraser T Smith". Soundonsound.com. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  10. ^ "A&R, Record Label / Company, Music Publishing, Artist Manager and Music Industry Directory". Hitquarters.com. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Explore Multimedia". Explore Multimedia. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  12. ^ Cassandra (2 April 2001). "Release "Touch Me" by Rui da Silva feat. Cassandra". MusicBrainz. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Tim Deluxe Featuring Sam Obernik - It Just Won't Do (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  14. ^ "Fraser Smith - From Craig David to Plan B". Gforce Software. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Songs written by Fraser T. Smith | SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  16. ^ "Fraser T. Smith". GRAMMY.com. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  17. ^ CMU Editorial (21 April 2010). "Ivor Novello noms out". Complete Music Update. 3CM UnLimited.
  18. ^ "Grammy Awards 2015: The Complete Winners List". Rolling Stone. 8 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Mercury Prize 2016: David Bowie gets posthumous nomination". BBC News. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  20. ^ "Brit Awards 2017: The nominations". BBC News. 14 January 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  21. ^ "BRIT Awards 2017 full winners list". NME. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  22. ^ "Kano named Best Album at 2016 Mobo Awards". ITV News. 4 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Here Is the Complete List of Nominees for the 2017 Grammys". Billboard. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  24. ^ Savage, Mark (1 March 2018). "Meet the man Stormzy hugged at the Brits". BBC News.
  25. ^ "Fraser T Smith: How I brought 24 musicians together during lockdown for Radio 1's first Number One". BBC. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Ivor Novello Awards: Rapper Dave wins for political anthem Question Time". BBC News. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  27. ^ a b "Ivor Novello Awards: Rapper Dave wins for political anthem Question Time". BBC News. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  28. ^ "Fraser T Smith announces '12 Questions' album featuring Stormzy, Dave, Idris Elba and many more". NME. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  29. ^ Ainsley, Helen (24 April 2020). "BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge Allstars charity single Times Like These enters Top 5 just hours after its release". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  30. ^ "Fraser T. Smith". grammy.com. The Recording Academy. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
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