Emily Smith didn't become a singer until her late teens, having spent most of her childhood dancing, since her mother had a dance school. Despite her late start at singing, she went on to become Scots Singer of the Year at the 2008 Scots Trad Music Awards. She also won the Folk Category of the USA Songwriting Competition in 2005, the first songwriter from Scotland ever to do so.
The beautiful "Winter Song" (which is written by Emily) is the final track on Too Long Away and it was turned into a very nice video by a fan:
"Save a Place" was written in March 2009 as one of 19 songs by a group of 8 folk musicians (including Emily Smith) during a retreat in rural Shropshire:
Richard Kemp's "Somewhere Along the Road" performed for BBC Songs of Praise
Emily was invited to participate in the Transatlantic Sessions (Series 4) that features some of the finest folk musicians on either side of the Atlantic. On Programme Three she performs "The Silver Tassie" accompanied by the renowned house band (Aly Bain, Jerry Douglas, Russ Barenberg, Michael McGoldrick, Ronan Browne, Phil Cunningham, Donald Shaw, Danny Thompson, Todd Parks and James Mackintosh) and backed up by Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (lead singer of the Irish trad band, Altan) and Martha Wainwright (Canadian-American folk/rock singer/songwriter).
Here is a cover of "The Open Door" written by American songwriter Darrell Scott (who also participated in Transatlantic Sessions 4 and wrote the song "Long Time Gone" that was a big hit for the Dixie Chicks)
~Steve
Steverino