Dublin indie act J Smith shares heartfelt new EP, Three Dots

Dublin native J Smith has returned with an heartfelt new EP, Three Dots, after recently returning with 'Skipping Stones'.

The release follows his 2021 debut album (...) And You Chose Not to Laugh, and is comprised of songs that didn't quite fit the project, either sonically or lyrically. The result: a collection of tracks that hold onto the ethos of J Smith's emotionality while still offering a fresh, new sound.

From the exposition 'Again Again Again,' you can hear the quality and care J Smith infuses into his works. Gentle and delicate, each song feels as if they're balanced on a thread — walking the wire between hopeful optimism and soulful nostalgia. Whether it's the introspective finger-picking in 'Skipping Stones' or the gently dramatic piano ballad of 'Into the Blue,' each track holds a potent sentimentality that bleeds through the entire EP.

Recorded over two years ago, Three Dots was completed at the end of 2021. Bending into the realms of Elliott Smith and Ben Howard, the project holds a far away nostalgia, imbued with the tender sadness that comes with loss and life moving on. It's hard to look back, and Smith's tracks both on (...) And You Chose Not to Laugh and Three Dots hold the listeners hand as they turn away from past sorrows.

Previously the frontman of Gypsies On The Autobahn, James Smith has embarked on a solo mission. Here, he has worked to define his sound as a figure alone, and found it at the intersection of soul and indie acoustic, creating something comfortable but undeniably new.

"When writing as J Smith, I start on guitar or piano, and it’s more akin to the music people may have come to know me for. It takes influence from the likes of Nick Drake, Julia Jacklin and Sun Kil Moon. Some of my electronic influences from bands like Radiohead can also be heard," James told Tanis Smither about 'Skipping Stones.' "I strive to be vulnerable and reflective when writing – I want someone to learn something about me when they hear a song, and hopefully something about themselves."

Listen to Three Dots, below: