Its fifth single, "Like I Can", reached number nine in the United Kingdom. The third single, "Stay with Me", was an international success, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the fourth single "I'm Not the Only One" reached the top five in both countries. Its second single, "Money on My Mind", became Smith's second number one single in the UK. The album's lead single, "Lay Me Down", was released prior to "La La La". Smith's debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour, was released in May 2014 on Capitol Records UK. In December 2013, Smith was nominated for the 2014 Brit Critics' Choice Award and the BBC's Sound of 2014 poll,winning both. Their subsequent feature-on Naughty Boy's "La La La"- became a number one single in May 2013. Smith rose to prominence in October 2012 after being featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. EARTHSHIP consists of five full-band tracks and in honor of the fans that have been with him from the start, a stripped-down acoustic version of each song will accompany the release.Samuel Frederick Smith (born ) is an English singer and songwriter.
The songs span from folk rock to hard rock and feature a style of guitar playing that’s never been placed in those genres before, percussive fingerstyle. Erhard’s newest collection of music, EARTHSHIP, came to life inside of a Taos, NM earthship with co-writer, Bannigrin. Ironically, with the help of his computer programming background, Erhard has been able to capitalize on the importance of social media by building a web presence and community around his music, pushing his message of authenticity via the channels that challenge it.
The media attention from that second strike of viral lightning allowed Erhard to resign from his day job to pursue music full time. The next day, Erhard was in Rolling Stone, taking calls from Good Morning America and appearing on major television networks all across the globe. The crowd grew exponentially and proceeded to watch through their phones.
“I’ll teach you the words you don’t know,” Wonder said, and over Erhard’s knotty guitar playing, the two launched into an impromptu duet.
Baffled, Erhard apologized to him for not knowing the lyrics to the second and third verse. Recently following the viral success of “Manifest”, Erhard was finishing an abbreviated cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” to a small audience at a music trade show called NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) when Wonder himself approached the stage. In November 2016, “Manifest” shot to nearly 1 million views from Facebook and YouTube in its first week, with an appearance on Reddit’s front page. Written in part to assail the internet, Erhard’s song was championed by it. “Manifest / your world is your reflection,” Erhard sings in its video, surrounded by televisions and computers that flicker with images of then-president Barack Obama, Kim Kardashian and infomercial detritus. Hence his standout piece, “Manifest”, was born, a cultural narrative that laments our dependence on social media and its propensity to overwhelm our lives. The oversaturation of fake news, politicking and the constant distraction of this new environment drove him to the extent that he needed to write music relentlessly. However, after moving to northern Colorado, he quickly experienced culture shock. Here, in isolation, Erhard ground out a sound that is entirely his own, but this small town was no place to pursue a music career or develop his budding interest in programming, driving him to the Front Range. More commonly known as “The Valley,” it’s a section of Colorado hot with alien observatories and cosmic undertones. While he daylights as a computer programmer, Erhard’s music showcases his authentic, organic style, honed since his childhood in the southern Colorado town of Del Norte-a rural community of 1,800 people on the western edge of the San Luis Valley. Songs like “Manifest” and “Tapestry” showcase Erhard’s ability to stand on his own, organically, and represent beacons of the kind of musician Erhard strives to be. This unique tension, combined with Erhard’s experience sharing the stage with Stevie Wonder, has led to Erhard’s viral success and a sound that both complements and contrasts his various styles. Erhard often feels the pull between performing as a musicians’ musician and the hook writing world of pop, creating a sound that weaves between complement and contrast. Hailing from Del Norte, Colo., Grayson Erhard’s style leans heavily on the technically complex tap-slap style of percussive guitar often paired with moving, airy vocals.