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Mindy Smith
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8 p.m. July 9
U.S. Cellular Connection Stage with Leinenkugel's and WXSS
For more on Mindy Smith, visit www.MindySmith.netFor more Summerfest information, visit www.Summerfest.com
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Mindy is no stranger to the music scene; she has been at it for five years trying to get established, ever since moving to Nashville. Mindy describes her relocation as a step out of her comfort zone. “It was a risk, but it was worth taking. Where I was at wasn’t going anywhere; something had to change and bend, and that something was me, so I went ahead, with nothing but the shirt on my back and a couple of boxes of junk.”
Fortunately, lightning struck for Mindy. Vanguard Records signed her, and Mindy was also blessed with the opportunity to appear on a Dolly Parton tribute album.
Although her music originates in Nashville, calling Mindy “country” is incorrect. Her music appears nationally on rock stations, and even she describes herself as “alternate American roots.”
When it comes to writing, Mindy prefers to go solo. “I very rarely co-write, mostly because I think it inhibits the process for me. The only time I’ll write with somebody is when I feel I can learn something.”
As the core of creation for her deep, soulful lyrics, Mindy feels the writing process is delicate: “I’ll sit down for hours sometimes and not get something out of it, but then there are times when it goes really well; I just have to be available to it, like when I’m at home, and in my space.”
The results of this process are clear in songs like “Come to Jesus”. Her struggle over the last five years inspired the song. As Mindy depicts it, “I was working so hard trying to do this music thing, but nothing would ever work out. I tried to hear what God would say to me if he was in the room. It’s about a struggle with spirituality, and faith, and the understanding that maybe things will get better.”
It seems that her faith has taken her further than she had hoped; look for Mindy Smith around 8:00 on the US Cellular stage July 9 at Summerfest.
What’s in Mindy Smith’s CD Player?
“Actually, I have an I-Pod: my latest favorite is Feist, I love her voice. I also just picked up the new White Stripes; I’m all over the place.”
