“No Love No Life” - a new album from Stan Smith
Originally from Liverpool, England, Stan Smith is a writer and performer of Alt-Country/Americana music. Currently based in North Yorkshire he performs his music solo and with the Silver River Band as well as gigging with the Rob Dylan Band.
After picking up his first guitar in the late sixties he ignored the move to follow the singer/songwriter route (“there’s plenty of great songs out there”) and spent decades peddling his Bob Dylan/Joni Mitchell covers to marginally interested audiences. At the grand age of 60 Stan finally got his act together and formed a band (Mulholland) and started gigging. Initially set lists were dominated by the likes of Dylan, Neil Young, The Eagles etc but then progressively including more recent ‘alt-country’ artists songs along with originals.
Mulholland released two albums Ghosts & Shadows (2014) and North Country (2016) before disbanding in 2017. In 2018 he started performing again and travelling to distant parts where the songs for No Love No Life were born.
The new album was recorded in York at Young Thugs Studios (“an attitude not an age limit”) at the end of 2021 on a barge moored on the river Ouse. The aim was to create a musical journey through the landscape of all things Americana via the eight self-penned songs brought to life and enhanced by the sound of pedal steel, mandolin, cello and Celtic harp along with the standard ‘rock band’ lineup. The CD also includes a cover of Faith Hill’s “Breathe recorded at the same sessions.
The title of the album comes from Shantaram by David Roberts, a novel set in the underworld of modern day Bombay/Mumbai. No Love No Life is available on all major download/streaming platforms as well as on CD via www.stansmith.org