Mindy Smith
I first came across Mindy Smith through the song 'Jolene'. I heard a very stripped back version that I assumed was an early acoustic version of the song by Dolly Parton. It was emotive in a way the more recognisable polished version isn't. In the familiar version you feel it would be at best inconvenient if Jolene got the man. In this version you realise that Jolene would be responsible for bringing about a suicide.
I was quite shocked when the DJ said that the song was recorded by Mindy Smith. It didn't surprise me when I sunsequently discovered that Mindy was a New Yorker relocated down South. You can hear both elements in her self penned songs.
She's being tagged as the next big thing, both for her performance and her songwriting. It's always a tag that's as much a curse as a blessing. Her debut album, "One Moment More" gives an impression of someone that wears their heart on their sleeve. Whether it's also the sign of flawed genius remains to be seen.
I'm intending to make the most of a rare opportunity.