PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED TO AXS.COM
Jersey Shore is known as home base for the cast members of the 2009-2012 MTV Reality Show in which the namesake was presented. But, many are just beginning to know Jersey Shore as being home to yet another talented star on the rise. With a style influenced by the cultures of the Roaring 20s, the Soulful 60s, the Glam Rock of the 80s and the Smooth Grooves of the 90s, Lyndsey Smith steps on the scene with class, sophistication and a vocal range that will blow away any audience with intense force, leaving goosebumps down your spine and back again!
Three days before SweetNote Entertainment‘s Rock’N’Soul Christmas Show, AXS met with B. Michael Smith to speak about Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution to find out who LSSD is, what they have done and where they plan to go. This band is nothing but pure ear candy and a great inspiration to the many up and coming bands all over the Globe.
You see, Lyndsey Smith got her start in the church, as do many talented acts. But unlike many of those acts, at the age of three, she was given the chance to shine in front of full congregations and leaving her onlookers in awe of her passion and abilities at such a young age. She may have gotten her start in gospel choirs, but her calling lead her to other realms of the Music World. Having been classically trained and aspired to the arts of Opera, Soul and Jazz, she became crowned “The Goddaughter of Soul” by her loyal Baltimore fans and continue to evolve her personal style and vocal abilities through them. Naturally, she is a strong, powerful Alto that can blow harder than the winds of a Florida hurricane, but she has the abilities to hit well above and well below her natural vocal range.
The complete package — talent, skill and showmanship — Lyndsey, with her band Soul Distribution, has been known to “pack houses” to the maximum of fire codes and ordinances. Together, they bring a very soulful show to audiences, notorious for infusing funky bass lines, dynamic rhythms, and harmonized back up vocals to match amazing leads that compare to our legendary Jazz and Soul favorites, such as Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. Her ability to hit chakras with her soulful punches and rockstar grit allows the band to have fun while playing hard, promoting true musicianship that has been long lost and forgotten by many of our contemporaries.
Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution is a ten-piece band with some of the best musicians in the Greater Pittsburgh Metropolitan and surrounding Tri-State regions… if not amongst the best, Nationally. This group was built with the influences and dynamics of Earth Wind and Fire, Parliament/Funkadelic, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder in mind. Each member works collaboratively, as a group, writing lyrics yet leaving the bass player, Beni Rossman, and drummer, CJ Young, to most of the composing. Lyndsey then adds her vocal arrangements, and the rest falls into place skillfully and admirably like the influential, Improvisational Jazz that added to molding of Lyndsey’s vocal abilities.
The group, itself, has quite an interesting story. They didn’t get together because they were long time friends. On the contrary, they became family due to the chemistry built through the love and passion of music and the processes of creation. It wasn’t until Lyndsey’s oldest son was diagnosed with Autism, actually, that she moved to the City of Pittsburgh to seek support and medical opportunity in aiding to his advancement with his unfortunate disease. Pittsburgh is home to some of the best Children’s facilities in the Nation. This motivated Lyndsey to relocate to the Steel City and start a new life for her family.
In 2008, Production and Artist Manager, B. Michael Smith had been in the process of creating a Production Company with colleagues, Matthew Knochel and David Hawkins. It became known as Kaos Theory. It was then that B. Michael met Lyndsey, and history had been set in motion. Through Kaos Theory, now a subsidiary of SweetNote Entertainment, B. Michael’s empire-in-the-making, a 7-piece band was started for Lyndsey, entitled Vanilla Phunk, which became the predecessor for LSSD, the band which now tours and records with Lyndsey on a regular basis. Two of the original members, Max Snyder and Stacey Randolph, have remained strong and influential members of the latter Soul Distribution. It was this year that Lyndsey Smith was crowned the “2008 Pittsburgh Idol” winner. However, unsustainable at a time when Lyndsey and B. Michael were expecting a child, the group disbanded, taking a break from the magic that would soon come to be.
In 2011, SweetNote Entertainment arose with the birth of a brand new, private studio that would be the launching pad for Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution with literal “in-house” recording, allowing for creative freedoms without the restraint of time and pressure from outsiders. LSSD became the first group under the label. Through the creation of LSSD, Lyndsey and B.Michael were adamant on the topic of non-usage of backing tracks, by bringing a higher caliber of live music, previously non existent in the Pittsburgh Area for some time. This mission led to a 2011 Battle of the Bands, presented by Drusky Entertainment, grand prize win against 14 other top regional acts and a “Strong Performance Award” from Beat100.com.
Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution was initially created with the inclusion of the one of the former members of Vanilla Phunk, adding a second and third member who was scouted out via Online classified ads and a previous acquaintance of B. Michael Smith. A 3-piece backing band was underway for Lyndsey Smith’s Soul Distribution. This was only the beginning, creating a new genre of Rock’N’Soul music, bringing the music to the soul of their audience and giving the World what they need!
As the group evolved, B. Michael began adding more members, including a second member of the predeceasing Vanilla Phunk band. Some of the new members came from Online classifieds, others came from mass auditions. B. Michael Smith was in search of not just talent, he sought out those of raw and unadulterated quality with skills and personality to compliment the essence of the group that was now LSSD. Cancers were removed in the process, as the group’s style and persona also evolved. Networking in the local areas through gigs and live shows, a few more members were added to the roster; and the group, aged 22 to 46, has been steady rocking with ten members ever since.
According to B. Michael Smith, “ Each member brings skill sets to the table beyond the music and behind the scenes. Experience with songwriting, marketing, public relations, music composition, production, sound engineering, arranging choreography and business… It makes my job much easier when they have the experience to understand the moves that I make as their manager, and it helps me to relate to them and their abilities and goals.” Not only has Lyndsey Smith worked with House Music Producer, Romy Faget, of France; but the group, in whole, has also shared the bill with quite a few National acts, including up-and-coming band, Space Capone, and the legendary Funk band, Tower of Power.
In 2013, Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution released a short EP, highlighting some of LSSD’s most accomplished works. This album consisted of nothing but original music. They are currently working to complete their first full album, which will be released in 2015. In early 2014, LSSD was nominated for the “Best Group,” “Best R&B Single,” “Best R&B Artist” and “Best Neo-Soul Artist” awards at the 2014 Pittsburgh Underground Music Awards showcase.
Recently, the group has been gaining increased National notoriety through supporters of the band. An award-winning production company, Dakota P. Productions (DPP), has revived The Upbeat Dancer Show. the weekly televised variety dance show based on the hit television variety show from the 60’s and 70’s, UPBEAT, for the CW Network (CBS/Warner Bros.). They have been including independent and major music acts from all over the United States. In December of 2014, The Upbeat Dancer Show filmed an episode at The Hard Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh, PA. The Hard Rock Corporation insisted on having Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution included into the show. It was a hit! LSSD performed two of their original and intensely soulful originals, “Ball & Chain” and “Can’t Resist It” for the taping set for broadcast on December 20, 2014.
When not hanging out in jam sessions or performing live, LSSD likes to go to “Sing Sing,” “Club Cafe,” “Lava Lounge,” “Rivers Casino,” “Latitude 40” and a few other live music venues in the city. They continuously tour the Pennsylvania/Ohio regions, that call for their presence, including Hard Rock locations, regional casinos and summer music festivals. They have been involved in several charitable causes and fundraisers and have been a major part of The Annual Rock’N’Soul Christmas Show, presented by SweetNote Entertainment, for the last four years. The Rock’N’Soul Christmas Show benefits Toys for Tots and the Toys for Tots Foundation to bring a night of networking to musicians and businesses in the area, while collecting toys and donations for children during the holidays.
Plans for 2015 include the release of a full studio debut album and collaborations with great companies and organizations, such as Love360 Connections, Shorty Produkshins, Playas Mob Radio, The Palermo Heart to Heart Foundation and The Delta Foundation, just to name a few.
In keeping with changing technologies, Lyndsey Smith and Soul Distribution can be found on sites like ReverbNation, MTV.com, Facebook and Twitter. The group also has a mobile application and official site that fans can stay up-to-date with breaking news relating to the group and its members. Fans are also encouraged to reach out to the group at 732-LYN-SOUL, while business inquiry should be limited to SweetNote, directly.
