Karen Smith Bio
Karen’s Dad was the person who first inspired her to play the guitar: as a young child, she would watch him play and think to herself, ‘I want to play like him.’ Her Dad spotted her enthusiasm and gave her all of his music books, but she wasn’t old enough to know the melodies of the folk songs and Beatles classics featured in the books, so rather than let that interfere with her creativity, she made up her own melodies instead! By then, it was obvious that she had a musical gift.
At the age of eleven came Karen’s biggest challenge of her life when her family suffered through a difficult trauma. Through her music and songwriting, Karen found a way of coping with what had happened and a way of expressing herself. Music became a large part of her fighting spirit.
By the age of fifteen, at the studio of Martin Barre of Jethro Tull fame, Karen recorded twelve songs, written about her childhood experience. These songs were penned with innocence and honesty that has since become her trademark. Soon after, Karen began performing in public, first appearing at seventeen-years-old in a school concert where she bravely stood alone on stage playing her guitar and pouring her heart out to the captivated audience listening to her. Next came more requests for her to perform, most notably at a local rock extravaganza where, despite not being the main act and it being only the second time she had performed, she was the star of the show and gained even more press coverage under the headline: ‘Karen is the gem of rock extravaganza’.
As her musical career progressed, Karen studied at The London Music School where she proudly gained a Platinum Diploma from the Guitar Institute of Technology. There, using her songs as material, Karen fronted a band with fellow musicians, Ed Johnson (Drums), Mike Peacock (Bass), and Chris Weber (Guitar and of Featherlike fame). They went on to appear at The Wembley Conference Centre in The Mad About Music Show as well as being featured on the Channel Four News. They ended their year headlining London’s Subterania, having, by then, won the college’s prestigious award of Band of the Year.
Karen went on to play professionally as guitarist and backing vocalist to Madeleine (signed to Arista Records, BMG) sharing the bill with acts of world repute such as Dar Williams and Ani DiFranco.
She was personally invited by virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist, Eric Roche, to perform her own songs at several of his gigs.
She has played many prestigious London venues including London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Shepherds Bush Empire, Ronnie Scotts, 12 Bar Club (London), Monarch (Camden), Water Rats (Kings Cross).
Karen's biggest claim to fame so far is as guitarist and backing vocalist working for Mel C (Sporty Spice).
Karen has recorded with Eric Roche, Madeleine and, most recently, has recorded her own songs with Merlin Rhys Jones (writer and performer with Ian Dury and the Blockheads).
Right now, Karen continues to write and record, so watch this space for new songs to appear and also for new information on when she will be next performing at a venue near you!
Testimonials
'I know so many, many musicians and Karen stands out way ahead of the crowd! I am proud of her because she is so genuine, honest and true. As soon as she plays and sings I can see and hear those qualities. She sincerely means everything she does.' Eric Roche (Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitarist)'I really like your songwriting, not only the words but the chords and tunes as well. After I see you play I always hum the songs for days afterwards.’ Glenn Skinner (Writer and Producer)
'Karen's vocals and lyrical style are often beautiful and inspired. She is also a great guitarist. Having been asked to join Mel C's touring band, Karen is instead concentrating on her own material. Thank God!' Phil Taylor (Up All Night)
‘For all Merlin’s ability and experience, it was another act that stole the evening for me. Karen, who is just about sixteen, just about as modest as you can get and just about as gifted a singer-songwriter of her age as you’ll see, was performing her work for only the second time. She may have lacked the stage craft of Merlin, but she was compulsive listening and I was captivated by one distinct element missing from Merlin; she was not reproducing anyone’s music but Karen’s – and right from the heart it was too.' Journalist, Harry Pridmore, writing about Karen when she was just sixteen.
'They say that seeing is believing. In the case of Karen, guitarist and performer of her own songs, hearing is believing. What a truly beautiful voice she has.' Journalist, Kingsley Squire, writing about Karen when she was just seventeen.
Interview with Karen Smith in Breakthru Magazine
For all the obvious, undoubted benefits of achieving technical excellence, the only constant that truly marks great music is passion. The sort of honesty and emotion which can transcend genres and inspire others: and which, in the hands of Ani DiFranco, reduced Karen Smith to tears in a room full of people. "She was just amazing," recalls Karen. "I was crying because I was so inspired by her and I thought, "I want to be like that". Now Karen has shared the same stage as Miss diFranco and it is she who bears her soul through acoustic songs of such great simplicity and innocence. "The only way I seem to be able to write is from the heart," she admits. "I personally love nothing more than to see someone pouring out their heart. That really moves me." This adage is borne out in both her lyrics, which range from love-stricken to vitriolic, and personal tastes as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald and AC/DC. All are so very different, but there is one undeniable link: honesty and emotion. "That's the incredible thing about music, you can listen to all kinds and they move you in different ways." As if to emphasise the point, and despite gradutating from the London Music School with a Platinum Diploma in guitar studies, Karen maintains: "I never think technically when I'm writing. I just find some chords and think they sound good". One thing the school did teach her, however, was confidence; having been "the quietest, most petrified student ever" in her first week, she ended the course as winner of their "Band of the Year" award. Karen even admits that simply applying to the school "was kind of one of those rash decisions, just all of my family saying I should go for it. And it's the best thing I ever did. I'm so glad I've done it, or I wouldn't be doing this now."On such whimsical moments do careers rest. As with her audition to be the stand-in when the guitarist in Mel C's live band fell ill just before the V-festival. "It was just incredible," she remembers. "They said 'you've got to learn this song, you'll be playing in ten minutes'.....so I did it! We played the song with her band, and afterwards they called me and said 'we want you to do it'. "I just had to sit at home and be paid, learning all the songs. Of course, I didn't do the gig because she recovered. "Can't say I blame her..." is the remarkably philosophical response. Instead, Karen is now playing solo gigs, and in the process of moulding her four-piece band into a marketable entity. Which she thinks is "probably harder than writing the music. It's really tough, saying 'where's your niche in the market?' "I do fear the marketing side of the industry in some ways, but I would certainly be open to hearing what people had to say. I just think with entertainment, people want to dream a bit. It's escapism." Image may play its part, but the music remains the single most important thing. And you can't fake that. Steve Gibbs (Breakthru Magazine)
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