John Smith is now on Patreon

Guitar lessons and exclusive John content (John-tent?) for all! Check out John’s Patreon page here, and read his words below…

In the wake of further postponements to our return to live music in the UK, I've found myself considering alternatives. What if there was a new way to communicate and interact directly with my supporters?

I was so elated and buoyed by the immense support for my recent album launch, it was a genuine reminder that actually, in the midst of this global shake-up, I can still count on those who follow my music to engage with my own little self-made corner of the music industry.

I’ve heard a lot about Patreon from friends and colleagues who use it to engage with their followers. Having released a live record, performed a raft of livestream shows and put out The Fray, I never quite found the time to look into it. And then, in the past couple of weeks, I became a little obsessed with the idea.

It seems to me that Patreon is primarily a community-building tool. There is a small community around my music already, but I always felt it was, essentially, geographically disparate… until I started playing livestreams at the start of the pandemic. Suddenly people in Scotland, Oregon and Japan were speaking directly to each other about the shared experience of a gig. That single event, happening in the basic confines of the chat feed, was enough to convince me that it’s got to be worth pursuing a space in which to allow that community to grow.

I’ve said it before, in the sleevenotes for my album Headlong: "To everyone who comes to my shows; I would be lost without you”.

It's still true, and over in Patreon, I'm hoping to find something new.

I thought long and hard about it, and after drafting up lots of tiers with various different rewards and prices, I realised that, based on the fundamental idea of community, I just want it to be as inclusive as possible.

If you’d like to join the John Smith Song Society, please head over to www.patreon.com/johnsmithjohnsmith - there are two tiers, The Fox and The Monk, both of which offer access to these perks… 

Your digital copy of the unreleased 8 track instrumental EP 'Meditations / Montreal'Instant access to a library of 10 unreleased and never-before-played-to-anyone songs from the archives, with new tracks added every month.Exclusive monthly videos, from solo/alternate versions of album tracks, covers of my favourite songs, guitar workshops and the songwriting process, to conversations about life and music with friends and colleagues.An exclusive Zoom livestream concert, every two months; including covers, new ideas and reinterpretations of past songs… and you'll get to vote on which cover version I perform each time.

The only difference between the 1st and 2nd tiers is the inclusion of the Guitar Hang. This was the perk from The Fray’s pre-order campaign that surprised me the most! Not only was I surprised at how many were sold, but I was pleasantly amazed to discover that I really enjoyed a little teaching.  

In joining The Monk tier, you will also receive… 

A monthly 60 minute one-on-one Guitar Hang or songwriting masterclass, via Zoom or FaceTime. We can talk about technique, performance, expression, anything you like. If you need to focus on developing in a certain area, we can work on that progression.