Darrell Smith
Hometown: Fukuoka
In Japan: 35 years+
Identity: Musician
Darrell Smith is Fukuoka’s Piano Man, regularly finding his audience “in the mood for a melody”. Born in Japan to American missionary parents, he spent one year in California for every four years in Fukuoka and Japan. Music was always a huge part of life – first being exposed to gospel music in church, his interest expanded through childhood (when he spent his monthly allowance on records by UK artists such as U2 and The Cure). Playing saxophone and piano in school, Darrell was 20 when landed his first professional gig in Fukuoka. But it was an eleven-year stint at the Fukuoka Grand Hyatt that’s to thank for his nickname “Pianoman” – a nod to Billy Joel, whose hit song was requested perhaps a few too many times. Nowadays Darrell’s busy schedule includes playing at weddings, voice-over and narration jobs, songwriting for commercials, radio presenting, and preparing for the release of his third solo album “Oceanside”. Being Darrell’s first time to release a full-length collection of all-original material, the album has been a personal journey six years in the making. Each Monday, Darrell hosts TENJIN UNITED on LOVE FM 76.1 – a show for which he personally selects all the music. Besides performing on stage, it’s his next favorite thing. His new CD “Oceanside” will be launched with a live show on Sep. 13 (Sat.) 18:30~ at Resola NTT Yume-Tenjin Hall.
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Tell us a little bit about your background. Where are you from?
Actually I was born in Japan because of my father’s work. He’s a minister, a missionary. He started six churches here in Kyushu. I was raised in both Japan and in California, spending one year in California for every four years in Japan. The music I learnt first was church music, gospel music, hymns… That’s where I came from.
How long have you been playing music?
Well the first time I was featured as a soloist was when I was six years old. It was in church, of course, with the gospel choir. I sang “Jesus Loves Me”. When I was in elementary school I started playing sax, which I played all through high school. At thirteen or fourteen I started playing in bands. At that time I realised I wanted to write songs, and there were so many guitar players around, so I started playing piano instead. I got my first professional gig here in Fukuoka in 1991, when I was twenty.
So you started songwriting when you took up piano?
Yeah. I actually started so that I could write songs to my then-girlfriend. I thought that if I could write that girl a song, then I could get her. That was the basic goal.
Did it work?
Yeah, it worked! Several times! I also wrote songs for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day… occasions like that. I wrote a Mother’s Day song, and my mum still says “Will you play that for me, honey?” [chuckles]
When did you become the “Pianoman”?
Oh my goodness, let’s see. Well, I first played piano as part of a band. Then from the age of 23 or 24 I started working at a music school here in Fukuoka, which involved teaching singing, piano, songwriting… things like that. After a while, though, I started getting tired of teaching. Teaching singing in Japan is nearly impossible! [laughs] Around that time I got a call from the Grand Hyatt: they wanted a solo musician to play piano and sing. So I gathered up all the songs that I could play, put them in a folder, went to the Grand Hyatt and I started playing. I continued that gig for 11 years, and that’s where I became “Pianoman Darrell”.
Was the nickname self appointed then?
Well, if a white guy sits down on stage and starts playing piano – someone’s gonna request “Piano Man”, right? It’s just the way it is. So I just kinda took it on. It’s a really good word. Because of its association to Billy Joel it explains that I don’t just play the piano – I also sing.
How often do you perform in Fukuoka? Do you have any regular spots?
Well it’s not just Fukuoka, I do all of Kyushu. The majority of the work these days is playing for the bridal industry – I do up to twenty weddings a month. My specialty is to take special song requests from the bride and groom. In addition to that I play a lot of corporate events… That’s all fine. I really like that kind of work, but as a musician I feel I need to challenge myself to grow. I need to get somewhere. So the first challenge that I took on was to release an album of Japanese songs in English. That album was titled “Made in Japan”, which reflects that I am a unique person because I’m made in Japan but I’m not Japanese. I brought my unique perspective to some Japanese tunes.
You translated the songs yourself?
Yeah, most of the songs I did myself. That album sold really well, that was six years ago. The second challenge that I gave myself was to release an album of all-original tunes. That’s a LOT more difficult to sell. Everybody wants the songs they know. This is a really big challenge for me personally, because I don’t want to be the guy that sings covers forever and ever.
Who is your audience?
Good question. I think that my audience probably consists of about 95% Japanese. And of those 95%, probably 95% are women over the age of 30 or 40. The “middle to upper female demographic” is probably the best way to say it. I think it has a lot to do with the first album being covers from the early 80s. But, you know, people of all ages enjoy the material I do.
Do you find any advantages of being a foreigner in the live music scene in Japan?
Oh totally! I find it really important! A lot of foreigners I know dislike it when Japanese people say “gaijin da”, or point out that a foreigner is different. They feel like they are experiencing prejudice. Well they are, but they are also benefiting tenfold because of who they are. Of course prejudice is not good. Everyone should consider each other as a global citizen, I really believe that. But I also recognise that because I am a foreigner, and because I speak English and Japanese, I’m given so many opportunities here.
What sort of music did you grow up on? Who are some of your favorite artists?
Well if you listen to my show on LOVE FM you’ll notice I can’t help but play 80s synth-pop and new wave. Duran Duran, U2, The Cure. It’s very interesting because my parents are country-music-loving Americans, but for some reason I gravitated towards the UK music scene growing up. Bands like The Smiths, U2…
Was that type of music accessible for you, here in Fukuoka?
Oh totally, yeah. I was always really active in getting my hands on as much music as possible. When I was nine years old I decided I was going to be a musician. So at that point I was like “Let me have as much music as possible”. Back in the day I lived in Kasuga, and in front of Kasugabaru Station there was a record rental shop where you could go and rent actual LP records; they were ¥100 for one day. I had an allowance of ¥2,500 every month, so every week I’d go there and spend as much as I could of my allowance on rental records. That’s where I was getting all the music that my parents wouldn’t let me listen to. I got into a lot of stuff – even artists like Prince, KISS, AC/DC. And at that point I realized it was really important for me not to be confined by genres. Even now when I play my “Pianoman” show, I can play a Carpenter’s song, a Radiohead song, and a Motley Crue song… and they can all sound good together. That’s something that I really pride myself on doing.
You’re set to release your second solo album “Oceanside”. Tell us about it…
Well, six years ago I went on a three week holiday in Oceanside California which is near San Diego. I had a garage space with an old Fender Rhodes and an old amp and I sat there for three weeks and wrote all these songs. It’s really strange but the air in California is different. The air that you breathe, the taste of the water… everything is different. It really inspired me to write these songs. I took those three weeks out of my regular, busy life and it just all came out quickly. So I wrote a whole bunch of songs, and I brought them back to Japan where I worked on them, rearranged them, recorded them. In the end, it took me six years to become satisfied with the recorded product.
Did you record them over the space of six years?
Most of the basic tracks were recorded five years ago – in the first year when I came back. And I had some issues along the way that took awhile to iron out. There’s one song called Lullaby which I couldn’t be satisfied with. So one night I decided to speak the words instead of singing them. I had the confidence because of the narration work I’ve done, so I tried it and it fit. It was like “Hey, this is it! This is what this song has been waiting for!” For it to take six years to complete the album… that’s a long time! But I think that the songs were waiting for me to grow into what I needed to be to finish. So as far as I’m concerned it’s my masterpiece. It’s the best thing that I can do today.
Do you have a range of different instruments backing you up on the album?
Oh yeah! Basically when it comes down to it, there’s me and the piano …「テンテンテン」(dot, dot, dot)… that’s where my imagination takes off. In addition to my backing band, I used a vintage Roland TR-808 for one of the songs. It’s on the track I mentioned earlier “Lullaby.” There’s also a live horn section, made up of well-known American players, on a track called “Keep It Real.” Also, I collaborated with Chinese erhu player Liu Fukukun, and even a string quartet! Lots of people joined me and I’m so thankful for their time and talents!
Also the big thing for Japanese listeners is that there’s a group called Godiego – they’re sometimes considered the Japanese Beatles – and their guitarist plays on almost all of the Oceanside songs. He played on my first album too.
Career highlights thus far?
Ah, career highlights… Something that’s always been really important for me: I never wanted fame. I didn’t want to be the most famous musician with a million selling album. It’s not something that I’ve ever really strived for. I want to make a living playing music.Even with this album, I’m not going for Top 40 or anything like that. I’m just trying to make a good album that is a good representation of my music today…. and I hope y’all like it!
**Update 8/28: Currently “Balance” the first single from the album Oceanside is #23 on LOVE FM’s TOP 40!
Tell us about your show on Love FM?
Sure – I’m on every Monday from noon to three-thirty. And unlike the other shows on Love FM, I select the whole show. Every song that you hear is something that I’ve chosen. I love music trivia and music information. Listeners send me a lot of messages asking about all aspects of music, which I can answer on air.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My goodness, what is spare time? Well I like vintage sci-fi, so I watch really old Doctor Who. I listen to a lot of podcasts. I don’t listen to music because if I do, I start analyzing the music and after an hour I’m really tired, because I’ve analyzed it all, taken it apart.
And finally, what’s your favourite place in Fukuoka?
Probably my most favorite place to be, where I feel like I’m in my element is in the Love FM studio. Lately I’ve found that playing piano and being on the radio are equally satisfying for me. Both of them are great fun, because they’re both about music. I’m a musician and I’m here to talk about music.
Originally published in Fukuoka Now (fn189, Sep. 2014)
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Darrell Smith “OCEANSIDE” CD Release Live
To celebrate the release of Darrell Smith’s new album OCEANSIDE, a special concert has been announced. Nine of Japan’s top players will make up Darrell’s backing band, including GODIEGO guitarist, Asano Takami. Darrell performs songs from his albums OCEANSIDE and Made in Japan. Merchandise (t-shirts and tote bags) available too. This concert is sure to be a moving experience for all.
• 9/13 (Sat.), open 18:30 & 19:00
• Resola NTT Yume Tenjin Hall (in front of Kego Park)
• In advance- Adults: ¥3,000 & High school students and younger: ¥1,500
• On the same day- Adults: ¥3,500 & High school students and younger: ¥2,000
* Order tickets by e-mail oceanside913@gmail.com or phone 080-2696-7005
• 2-5-55 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• http://www.daripro.com/Darrell_Smith/LIVE_INFO.html
