Paul Smith (born 13 March 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band

Maxïmo Park Maxïmo Park are an English alternative rock band formed in 2000 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band currently consists of Paul Smith (English singer), Paul Smith (lead vocals), Duncan Lloyd (guitar, bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Tom Engli ...

Biography

Born in

Billingham Billingham is a List of towns in England, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in County Durham, England. The town is on the north side of the River Tees and is governed as part of the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority ...

Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in County Durham, England, with a population of 84,815 at the 2021 UK census. It gives its name to and is the largest settlement in the wider Borough of Stockton-on-Tees. It is part of Teesside and the Tees Val ...

, Smith is the eldest of three children, and was educated at Northfield School. He attended

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...

completing a BA and MA, studying Art History and English Linguistics, following a 1-year Foundation Studies course at

Cleveland College of Art and Design Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania stat ...

in Hartlepool. He briefly worked as an art teacher at Stockton Riverside College before he was asked to join Maxïmo Park. In 2014 Smith teamed up with Field Music singer Peter Brewis (British musician), Peter Brewis to record an album, ''Frozen by Sight'', derived from his travel writing, and featuring string arrangements by Brewis. In 2015 he released ''Contradictions'', a solo album, as Paul Smith and the Intimations, and in 2018, released a fourth solo album ''Diagrams''.

Artistry

Smith grew up idolising Morrissey and has been compared by critics to the Smiths' former frontman and to Jarvis Cocker for his introspective lyrics and on-stage hyperactivity.

Personal life

He is a fan of Middlesbrough F.C.

Solo discography

* ''Margins'' (2010) * ''Frozen By Sight'' (with Field Music, Peter Brewis) (2014) * ''Contradictions'' (as Paul Smith and The Intimations) (2015) * ''Diagrams'' (2018)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Paul 1979 births Living people English male singers People from Billingham English rock singers Alumni of Newcastle University People educated at Northfield School 21st-century English singers 21st-century English male singers