Brent Smith
Brent Stephen Smith (born January 10, 1978) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Shinedown.
Early life
Smith was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and is an only child.
Career
Prior to fronting the rock band ...
and
Zach Myers
Michael Zachary Myers (born November 7, 1983) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who founded and is currently the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band The Fairwell. He is also the former bassist and current guitarist for the ...
of American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed by singer Brent Smith in 2001 after the dissolution of Dreve, his previous band. Smith, still under contract with record label Atlantic Records, recruited the band's original ...
, released on iTunes on January 28 and March 18, 2014. Videos of the recording sessions, directed by
Darren Doane
Darren Doane (born September 20, 1972) is an American filmmaker, actor, and music video director.YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
in the weeks prior to each album's release.
Production
Frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers asked fans to request songs on their
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
page to be narrowed down to their top ten cover choices. Smith said of the album, "This is for the fans. They picked the songs and we recorded them. It’s as simple as that. And I must say that our audience has great taste."
The ten songs voted highest by the fans were planned to be released over ten days, along with YouTube videos of the recordings, directed by Darren Doane. However, some of the artists being covered (
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
, Phil Collins, Pearl Jam, and Bon Jovi) did not sign off in time for the video release. The extended play was reduced to six songs. The following recording videos were released on YouTube between January 22 and January 28:
*"
London Calling
''London Calling'' is the third studio album by English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records.
T ...
" (
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
), January 23, 2014
*'"
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
Nothing Else Matters
"Nothing Else Matters" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in 1992 as the third single from their self-titled fifth studio album, '' Metallica''. The song peaked at number 11 on the '' Billboard'' Mainstream Rock ...
Blue on Black
"Blue on Black" is a song by American blues rock group Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Written by Shepherd with Mark Selby and Tia Sillers, it was originally released on their second studio album, '' Trouble Is...'' (1997). In 1998, the song was re ...
" (
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist.
Life and career
Shepherd wa ...
), January 26, 2014
*"
Runaway Train
A runaway train is a type of railroad incident in which unattended rolling stock is accidentally allowed to roll onto the main line, a moving train loses enough braking power to be unable to stop in safety, or a train operates at unsafe speeds d ...
" (
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their 1993 hit "Runaway Train" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.
The band was originally called Loud Fast Rules, with a lineup consisting of Dav ...
), January 27, 2014
*"
She Talks to Angels
"She Talks to Angels" is a song by American rock band the Black Crowes. It is the eighth track on their first album, '' Shake Your Money Maker'' (1990), and was the fourth single released from the album in 1991. The song reached number 30 on the ...
" (
Black Crowes
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...
), January 28, 2014
Smith insisted on eventually releasing all of the videos on YouTube, saying, "It's not about money for us. We didn't write these songs. We did this for the audience and for the fans, and we know it's something they're gonna dig." Despite the fact that the band did not intend to sell the songs, the album ''(Acoustic Sessions) - EP'' was released for sale on iTunes under the name "Smith & Myers" on January 28, 2014.
The following videos were released on YouTube in March 2014:
*" Someone Like You" (
Adele
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...
), March 11, 2014
*"
In the Air Tonight
"In the Air Tonight" is the debut solo single by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was released as the lead single from Collins's debut solo album, ''Face Value'', in January 1981.
Collins co-produced "In the Air Tonight" w ...
" ( Phil Collins), March 11, 2014
*" Wanted Dead or Alive" ( Bon Jovi), March 18, 2014
On March 18, 2014, ''(Acoustic Sessions, Pt. 2) - EP'' was released on iTunes with the previously omitted tracks.
Track listing
Personnel
;Band
*
Brent Smith
Brent Stephen Smith (born January 10, 1978) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Shinedown.
Early life
Smith was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and is an only child.
Career
Prior to fronting the rock band ...
- lead vocals
*
Zach Myers
Michael Zachary Myers (born November 7, 1983) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who founded and is currently the lead singer and guitarist for the rock band The Fairwell. He is also the former bassist and current guitarist for the ...
- guitar
*
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst; June 12, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced significant commercial success as a blues artist.
Life and career
Shepherd wa ...
- guitar on "Blue on Black"
;Production
*
Darren Doane
Darren Doane (born September 20, 1972) is an American filmmaker, actor, and music video director.