Lesley Smith was born a songwriter.   “One of my earliest memories is of looking out of a tall window at night and singing a secret song to the stars,”  she says. When eight years old she made her first recording on a home cassette recorder. The song, called Why Do People Fight? was a naive attempt at an anti-war song modeled after the Bob Dylan and Joan Baez tunes she heard played on her parents' record player.  She found solace in songwriting in high school and college, but never really found a place in the folk and coffee house circuit popular at the time. It wasn’t until when, while living in the UK, she became swept up in the post-punk wave that she found her footing as a front person and songwriter.  She was strongly influenced by the moody but powerful music coming from bands like Joy Division and the Clash.  Lesley fronted a power trio called Menage a Trois as a singer, songwriter and bass player energized by the freedom to express joy, political complaints, and heartbreak all in one set.

Upon returning to the US, Lesley was a regular at  jam sessions in the Art-Rock scenes of Boston and Western Massachusetts and ultimately co-founded a rhythm rock jam bonanza of a band called Tribal Etiket that at times included multi-media productions, dancers, a percussion orchestra and a loyal fan base. Lesley’s powerful vocals and innovative bass lines were the bedrock of the band. Lesley thrived touring and recording and dedicating herself to this collaborative creative endeavor.  When Tribal Etiket played its last show Lesley knew she wanted to continue playing music that invited people to dance and to hum along with big anthemic choruses and catchy lyrics.

Lesley’s band, Swampgirl fulfilled so much of that intention, and Lesley grew as a songwriter in collaboration with Dave Noonan ( Equalites, Dave Noonan’s Green Island) and Russell Chudnofsky (Lori McKenna, Tanya Donelly and many more). She says, “I felt a lot of anger, frustration and heartbreak at the time and the music gave me a place to land those emotions." Swampgirl explored the intersection of  sonic textures, thunderous rhythm, catchy hooks, and vocal harmonies in the setting of a power trio. During the lifespan of Swampgirl Lesley thrived in the immersion of playing rock clubs and festivals, recording and writing. 

Life and raising a family took Lesley away from fronting a band for a number of years, but she did not stop playing and singing. In the years following Swampgirl, Lesley’s knack for harmony singing connected her with many other acts. She contributed uplift and harmony in a variety of musical styles including a Grateful Dead tribute band, blues, reggae and neo-folk. Lesley continues to support  a wide variety of acts with her vocals such as Dead to the Core, Michael Hackansan Stacey and the Gullywhumpers, Lisa Palumbo Band, Tom Speiser Band, Dave Noonan’s Green Island and The Equalites.

She is thrilled with the new direction taking life with the album Waves. The band, Lesley Smith's Dream is a phenomena unto itself showcasing sizzling musicianship, cool sonic textures and  deep connection.   Drawing from influences such as Sharon Jones, Al Green and David Byrne,  these original songs are sure to move you to groove.