The White Buffalo is the stage name of American musician and singer-songwriter Jake Smith, a baritone from

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

influenced by

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

ians like

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

. Smith's songs, from an array of at least ten

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

and

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

s appearing since 2002, have provided songs for a variety of popular American media, including the television series ''

Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008 to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club ope ...

'', ''

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word), an expression that refers to the influx of Californians into various western states in the U.S. * ''Californication'' (album), a 1999 album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers ** "Californication" (son ...

'', ''

The Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...

'', '' Longmire'', ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American family drama television series that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents, and their three children, in several different time frames. It s ...

'', as well as the surfing movie, ''Shelter'' (2001).

Style and influences

Smith is a baritone, and is known for a wide range in pitch within his singing, and for incorporating whistling into his music, i.e., in place of the harmonica often used in roots music, as well as for his references to

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

and

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

in his lyrics. His singing style has been compared to that of late singer-songwriter

Richie Havens Richard Pierce Havens (January 21, 1941 – April 22, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music encompassed elements of folk, soul (both of which he frequently covered), and rhythm and blues. He had a rhythmic guitar style ...

. He is a singer/songwriter of compelling melody and intricate lyrics, straddling blurry lines of

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

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 ...

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

and

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

along the way. Smith grew up listening to country music and punk rock. His storytelling has been compared to that of

musicians such as

Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.

and

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...

." The White Buffalo Shadows, Greys & Evil Ways"
review by Thom Jurek, ''AllMusic''

Career

The White Buffalo's first full-length album, ''Hogtied Like a Rodeo'', debuted in 2002. This was followed by ''The White Buffalo EP'', produced by

Eels Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

' Koool G Murder, which Smith states is about "relationships, love, loss and booze with a little murder mixed in." This EP was musically grounded in acoustic folk and country blues. He re-recorded the first album in a friend's living room in 2008, renaming it ''Hogtied Revisited'', in it blend of elements of the

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

, and

alternative country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style ...

genres. In 2010, a second EP, again musically grounded in folk, ''Prepare for Black and Blue'', was recorded in six days with producer Jimmy Messer, and released through Chad Stokes' Ruffshod imprint via

Nettwerk Records Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...

. The music and the artist captured the attention of Unison Music's

Bruce Witkin The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...

and Ryan Dorn, who then signed The White Buffalo and co-produced ''Once Upon a Time in the West'', an album that transitioned to a more

roots rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

sound, with some songs still retaining a folk style. In 2013, a fourth LP, a mix of folk and some blues rock, ''Shadows, Greys, and Evil Ways'', was released on Unison Music Group to positive reviews. NY1 stated, "Not since

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

's ''

Living with War ''Living With War'' is the 27th studio album by Canadian / American musician Neil Young, released on May 2, 2006. The album's lyrics, titles, and conceptual style are highly critical of the policies of the George W. Bush administration; the CTV w ...

'' has there been so strong an artistic statement about this country's occupations." The musically varied album, ''Love and the Death of Damnation'', was released in 2015. In it, several songs being grounded in roots rock, while the song "Chico" incorporated Latin music, "Last Call to Heaven" fused folk,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, and "Come On Love, Come On In" was a

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

song. In August 2017 Smith released two tracks from his then-upcoming album ''Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights'', the singles "Avalon" and "The Observatory", the latter a blend of

soft-rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

and country-folk, the former, which tells the story of a wayward man's search for peace, being described by ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' as an "expansive country-tinged rock song." ''Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights'', a blend of alternative rock, blues, country and folk, was released in October 2017 to positive reviews, and was Smith's most electrified rock album yet.

In popular media

After a bootleg tape of Smith's music made it into the hands of professional surfer Chris Malloy, one of his songs, "Wrong," was featured in Malloy's surf movie, ''Shelter''. This eventually led to further film scoring and composing work, with many of his songs featured in FX's hit show ''

'', Showtime's ''

'', as well as commercials for Wal-Mart. Several of his songs have been featured in ''Sons of Anarchy''. Most notably, in 2014, he and

The Forest Rangers The Forest Rangers may refer to: * ''The Forest Rangers'' (TV series), Canadian TV series *The Forest Rangers (band), band formed to create the soundtrack for TV series Sons of Anarchy * ''The Forest Rangers'' (film), 1942 film starring Fred MacMur ...

performed the

Season 7 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

finale song, "Come Join the Murder", written by the show's creator,

Kurt Sutter Kurt Leon Sutter (born May 5, 1960) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. He worked as a producer, writer, and director on ''The Shield,'' and appeared on the show as hitman Margos Dezerian. Sutter is also the creator of ' ...

. The song debuted at number 9 on ''Billboard'''s Hot Rock Chart and claimed the 93 spot on the Hot 100 chart. Other songs appearing on ''Sons of Anarchy'' include "Matador", "Damned", "Wish It Was True", "

House of the Rising Sun A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

" (with

), "The Whistler", "Set My Body Free", "Sweet Hereafter", "Oh Darling, what have I done", and "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth album, '' A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack ...

" (with

). The "House of the Rising Sun", performed with The Forest Rangers, was featured in the fourth season of ''Sons of Anarchy''. The White Buffalo's Digital EP, ''Lost and Found'', featuring "Wish It Was True", was used in the third season of ''Sons of Anarchy''. "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Come Join the Murder" were included in '' Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 4'' album. The song "The Observatory" from ''Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights'' (2017) was featured in ''

'' episode "The 5th Wheel". Smith's song "Where Dirt and Water Collide" was featured in the Netflix series '' Longmire'', in the seventh episode of season six. His song “Wish It Was True” was also featured in the Netflix original series Marvel's ''

'', in episode three, "Kandahar", of the first season. The White Buffalo's music has featured in movies, TV shows and video games.

Touring

Smith was a San Franscisco waiter who dragged his guitar to open mic nights once or twice a year. When he was asked in 2002 to allow a song in surfer Chris Malloy's movie Shelter, he quit his job and moved down to Orange County. He toured relentlessly, sometimes driving 1.000 miles between gigs. Over the past few years White Buffalo has played shows both nationally and internationally with acts like

Ryan Bingham George Ryan Bingham (born March 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor whose music spans multiple genres. He is currently based in Los Angeles. As of 2019, Bingham has released six studio albums and one live album, t ...

, Donavan Frankenreiter, Gomez,

Xavier Rudd Xavier Rudd (born 29 May 1978) is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist. Several of Rudd's songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Indigen ...

State Radio State Radio is a Boston-based rock trio comprising singer and primary songwriter Chad Stokes Urmston (also a member of Dispatch), bassist Chuck Fay, and, formerly, drummer Michael Najarian. The band's songs focus on social and political issues ...

, Jack Johnson,

Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 200 ...

, and

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are an American rock band from Vermont, formed in 2002 in Waitsfield by drummer Matt Burr, guitarist Scott Tournet, and singer Grace Potter. They began their career as an indie band, self-producing their albums an ...

, among many others.

''Capturing The White Buffalo'' docuseries

In June 2015,

Ernie Ball Ernie Ball (born Roland Sherwood Ball; August 30, 1930 – September 9, 2004) was an American entrepreneur and musician who developed guitar-related products. Ball began as a club and local television musician and entrepreneur, building an inte ...

introduced a ten-part docuseries entitled ''Ernie Ball presents Capturing The White Buffalo: The Recording of an American Songwriter, A ten part docuseries'', which followed Smith as he recorded his album, ''Love and the Death of Damnation''. The series sought to show the audience Smith's process "from inspiration, to writing, fine-tuning, recording, and mixing, to rehearsing and performing live", so they could "experience the trials and tribulations of a modern day troubadour". Initially releasing the teaser trailer on May 18, 2015, the first episode premiered June 19, 2015, with each subsequent episode scheduled to release once per week each Friday leading up to the album's release on August 21, 2015.

Notable appearances

The White Buffalo performed at the 2011

Bonnaroo Festival The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in M ...

and performed on The Living Room Sessions in December 2011. In August 2014, The White Buffalo performed the songs "This Year" and "The Whistler" on ''

Jimmy Kimmel James Christian Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is the host and executive producer of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that premiered on ABC on January 26, 2003, ...

''.

Awards and recognition

The White Buffalo was named as one of twelve artists to watch in

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's 2012 Winter Music Preview.National Public Radio. ''2012 Winter Music Preview''. NPR.org, 2011.12.29. Date retrieved 2012.11.1. His digital extended play, ''Lost And Found'', featuring "Wish It Was True", was named ''Billboard'' Folk Chart "Hot Shot Debut".

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Hogtied Like a Rodeo'' (independently released, 2002) * ''Hogtied Revisited'' (independently released, 2008) * ''Once Upon a Time in the West'' (Unison Music Group, 2012) * ''Shadows, Greys, and Evil Ways'' (Unison Music Group, 2013) * ''Love & The Death of Damnation'' (Unison Music Group, 2015) * ''Darkest Darks, Lightest Lights'' (Thirty Tigers, 2017) * ''

On the Widow's Walk ''On the Widow's Walk'' is a 2020 album written and performed by Americana singer-songwriter the White Buffalo, and produced by Shooter Jennings. It was the first album released on Snakefarm Records. Background ''On the Widow's Walk'' is the s ...

'' (Snakefarm Records, 2020) * ''Year of the Dark Horse'' (Snakefarm Records, 2022)

Extended plays

* ''The White Buffalo'' (independently released, 2002) * ''Prepare for Black and Blue'' (Ruffshod/Nettwerk Records, 2010) * ''Lost and Found'' (Unison Music Group, 2011)

Tracks of interest

* "Wish It Was True" (''Lost And Found'', 2011).

Soundtracks

* ''Safe Haven'' (Relativity Music, 2013) * ''The Lone Ranger: Wanted'' (Walt Disney Records, 2013) * ''West of Memphis'' (Legacy Recordings, 2014) * ''I Know You'' (Halo Wars 2 - E3 trailer, 2016)

Music videos

* ''Love Song #1'' (2005) * ''Insane'' (2011) * ''Wish It Were True'' (2012) * ''BB Guns And Dirt Bikes'' (2012) * ''How The West Was Won'' (2012) * ''Don't You Want It'' (2013) * ''The Getaway'' (2013) * ''Modern Times'' (2015) * ''I Got You'' (2016) * ''Avalon'' (2017)

References

External links

* "The White Buffalo Discography." The White Buffalo Discography. N.p., n.d. Web. November 9, 2012. http://thewhitebuffalo.com/?page_id=12. * "The White Buffalo , Official Channel." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. November 9, 2012. https://www.youtube.com/user/thewhitebuffalomusic.
Album Stream: The White Buffalo – Shadows, Greys And Evil Ways :: Audio :: Paste
* Biosketch at AllMusic.com. {{DEFAULTSORT:White Buffalo Americana musicians Living people Year of birth uncertain Sons of Anarchy Singer-songwriters from Oregon Year of birth missing (living people)