Darden Smith

About this event

“Basically, this is a show I’ve been working on, taking the songs and stories around the album. It’s not just a straight run-through of the songs, but more of a theater kind of approach that looks at my rise and crash around the time of the album.” Darden Smith is an Austin, Texas-based songwriter / musician / artist / educator whose almost forty-year career continues to evolve and change with time. Since getting his start in 1986, he has released seventeen critically acclaimed albums and toured extensively in both the US and Europe. His latest work, Western Skies (2022), is a sprawling multimedia collection comprising two albums (music and spoken word); a book of photography, lyrics and essays; videos; drawings, a suite of lithographs and a one-man theater show. Among his other diverse projects, Smith has composed a symphony, scored three full-length dance theater works, produced a documentary for BBC2 Radio and written music for film and TV. His visual art is in both private and corporate collections as well as the Library of Congress. He is the co-founder and former creative director of Songwriting With: Soldiers, an organization that brings collaborative songwriting to veterans and their families. The Habit of Noticing: Using Creativity to Make a Life (and a Living), a collection of his writings, photos and drawings, was published in 2018. Smith is the 2024-2025 Songwriter Emeritus at the University of Texas at Austin. WITH SUPPORT FROM SUSY WALL: Susy Wall is a Welsh singer songwriter, who has adopted the Black Country as home for the past 25 years. She draws upon the everyday for her inspiration which results in music that is both relatable and honest. Her writing and performance styles echoes artists such as Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones and Carole King and focuses on melodic vocal lines accompanied by guitar, piano and other instrumentation as a backdrop for the versatility and vulnerability of her voice. Her debut EP, Home is the Colour , was released in September 2023, closely followed by her Winter EP, All Wrapped Up , in November, the title track being featured on Sara Cox's BBC Radio 2 show and BBC Midlands Today. Her first two albums have been well received, garnering airplay from Mark Radcliffe on the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show, and several local BBC Radio stations, including Susy's local BBC Introducing. She has been the featured artist on Iain Anderson's show on BBC Radio Scotland & selected as a Welsh A List artist twice on BBC Radio Wales. Her most recent collection, Black Lights , was funded by Arts Council England and celebrates the character and creativity of the Black Country where she now lives with her family. Susy has performed alongside artists such as Gordon Giltrap MBE, Boo Hewerdine, Phil Beer, Roland Gift, Anna Massie, Angus Lyon, Salt House, Filkins Drift and Findlay Napier. She has performed twice at Celtic Connections and featured as one of Shrewsbury Folk Festivals emerging artists of 2024. Her music has been well-received, achieving a rare 5 stars in R ’n’ R magazine, as well being nominated for both Fatea’s best debut album of 2024 and female artist of the year 2025. R ‘n’ R Magazine – ‘Susy’s delicacy and lightness of touch distinguish her from the crowd.’ Gordon Giltrap MBE – ‘Susy Wall has a voice that is divine and that sends shivers...It’s like a direct line to the soul of the listener. Her songwriting is superb and well-crafted with a sensitivity that is rare and cannot be taught. A remarkably gifted artist.’ Fatea – ‘Susy writes with her heart wide open which makes for a collection of songs that will move you, and Susy has the voice to do just that' Doors open 7pm, Music starts 8.30pm. The venue is mixed seated and standing. Tables are limited, and available on a first come first served basis, so if you’d like a seat, we recommend arriving early!