At once a wholly mysterious artist and a musician with a clear vision and identity, Smichington has commanded a listenership despite having released no music, pioneering his sound in the halls, studios, and stages found at the UD Talent House, to high acclaim.
Elsa Monteith talks sonics with Level 4 graduate, Smichington…
Smichington breaks away from the somewhat conventional artist archetype, being an atypical early riser and routinely the first in the studio, a feat that many artists struggle to fulfil with an almost universal night owl leaning. Despite releasing no music (at the time of writing), Smichington’s sound has reverberated through the walls of the UD Talent House since he joined the L4 course, with Open Mics and the exchange of demos being a commonplace practice. “Every day someone was hearing me play guitar, or hearing me sing, or hearing my demos”, Smichington shares, “there was a lot of exposure which made it feel more normal to open up.”
It’s no surprise that in deviating from what we might expect, Smichington is instead making his way into the industry in a profoundly measured and intentional way. A true artist in the first meaning, and a creative with a promising career ahead of him, he pioneers a self-proclaimed “sad with no structure” sound that many aspire to execute as seamlessly as he does. By penning an alternative genre that, on first listen, stands at odds with the company he shares at UD, I was drawn to Smichington for his left-field and hard-to-uncover artistry. Following a generous conversation that delves into his early influences and thoughts on the transition from being a songwriter to a performing artist, Smichington arrives at the conclusion that not fitting in with the crowd around him is, in fact, a good thing, with the distinction in genre being one of favourable uniqueness. I can only agree, and I think you will too.
For someone who doesn’t know your music, how would you describe your sound?
Kind of indie alt folk mixed together, with elements of rock and pop. It’s very much inspired by nature and the world around me.
Interesting! And to speak briefly about what inspires you with nature, do you have any core musical influences or artists, or even areas of the world that influence you?
I grew up outside of London around the countryside which was really eye opening to me. Areas of Hertfordshire and areas down south had an impact on me. In terms of musical artists, Adrianne Lenker is definitely a massive influence, as well as Fiona Apple, Mitski, just a lot of great indie artists.
When you were growing up, what was playing in your household?
Nora Jones was always playing, I’ve listened to Come Away With Me so many times (laughs). Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson were also always on.
How did you end up studying with UD?
I chose to pursue music a little later than everyone else, but my sister knew someone who was on the Incubator Programme, Marik, and he said that I should check it out and it ended up being the perfect fit.
And what drew you to the course? Was there anything that stood out to you specifically?
I think the fact that it’s a good place for fast development. I’m the type of person that likes to learn things and do things as quickly as I can. If I’m going to learn something, I just kind of do it and get it done, and UD is a good place for that.
What’s a typical day at UD studios?
When I was at UD I was travelling from Hertfordshire so I would have an early start (laughs). I’d be up maybe five-ish, get ready, and get the train into London. I’d always be the first person in the building so I’d go up to the library and start practicing, and then head down to the studios and classrooms.
Did you get involved with UD in any other ways like the Open Mic?
I did, I was mainly doing covers because I was still trying to ease myself into the idea of being a performing artist – it’s very different to just writing songs in your bedroom which is what I was used to.
That’s interesting actually – how have you made that transition from being a songwriter to a performing artist?
I don’t know if I’ve properly made it yet. I think that it helps that I’ve learned how to produce and discover my sound a little bit more, but it’s something that I’m still challenging.
Do you have good memories from studying the L4?
Yeah… All the times when we were together in the room downstairs – it was just so sweet in there. It was like a little family.
Did you ever collaborate with anyone else on the course?
Yeah, I collaborated with TobiMary and PK a couple of times. It was hard because the music I was making was different to everyone else’s, and because I didn’t know how to produce, it was hard to get my ideas across in the studio. I avoided collaborating a lot, but I think it’s a really good experience to have, working with other people.
How did you find exploring an alt genre when other artists are creating quite different sounds?
At first I felt like I was in the wrong place, I almost switched my sound up a bit so I started singing more R&B and hip hop, but in the end it really taught me to be more individual. It doesn’t really matter what other people around me are singing or listening to. The tutor, Vanessa, would often sit with me and reassure me that I don’t need to fit in with the crowd around me.
Have you got a dream stage or festival that you’d want to perform at?
I really want to perform at All Points East. It was the first festival I went to – my favourite artist Mitski was playing and it was so good. When I go to shows I try to imagine myself on that stage – I really want to perform at the Union Chapel, it’s a really beautiful venue.
And as an artist, do you have an aspiration for what kind of artist you want to be?
I’m not really aiming to be huge like Michael Jackson, but I want to be able to have an influence on the world or a group of people in a way that helps them. That’s kind of why I went into music.
What’s your songwriting process like? Do you have a routine?
I wish (laughs). I’ve tried to have routines, I’ve tried to do exercises and things, but usually I just come up with ideas randomly and stop whatever I’m doing and write a song. I used to work in a cafe and I would just be washing up or making a coffee or something and I’d have a song idea and I’d have to run into the back and get it down (laughs).
That’s such an artist’s answer! I love it. Have you always been a singer?
No, I have never felt confident enough in my voice, like I didn’t think that other people would like my voice until I found artists that had alternative voices, or like voices that weren’t in the mainstream. I only really saw myself as a singer maybe a year before going to UD. The fact I was constantly being heard at UD was helpful in building my confidence – every day someone was hearing me play guitar, or hearing me sing, or hearing my demos. There was a lot of exposure which made it feel more normal to open up, in a way.
What are the next steps for you after UD?
I think my next steps are mostly focusing on producing singles for 2025. I want to release things, get things done. I’ve wanted to release something for a long time, but I always feel like it’s not ready so I push it back and start something else. It’s helpful, in a way, because I’m very reflective, I’ll know to keep working on it until I’m happy with it.
Follow Smichington’s journey on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.
Words: Elsa Monteith, a Brighton based writer and broadcaster working in and around the arts and on the radio waves. Subscribe to Elsa’s Discontented newsletter here.
Click here to find out more about UD’s Level 4 Courses, starting September 2025.
