Smith & Myers confirm second new album, break out Billie Eilish cover

Smith & Myers will release two new albums this October. Vol 2 will be released on October 23, and will follow the release of the already announced Vol 1 on October 9.

The duo, comprised of Shinedown's frontman Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers, formed in 2014 and released two EPs of cover versions, Acoustic Sessions, Part 1 and Acoustic Sessions, Part 2. The new albums are split evenly between original material and cover versions.

The first songs to emerge from Vol 2 are the original Bad At Love, and a cover of Billie Eilish's Bad Guy.

"Bad At Love was one of the very first original songs to be written for the project," says Smith. "I think ultimately the song was born from my own romantic relationships. When I love someone, I love them fully and sometimes the passion can be too much. I always know when it’s time to move on.

"That being said, I am extremely grateful that I am still very good friends with the ladies I have loved, and still love, to this day."

Myers adds. "Lyrically, Brent was writing about things in his life that maybe we wouldn’t really touch on with Shinedown and I think it came out to be an incredibly naked and honest song. And I think Bad Guy turned out very cool – it’s a nice bluesy version of the song."

Alongside Eilish, the two albums feature covers of songs by Oasis, Peter Gabriel, Billy Idol, R.E.M., Post Malone, INXS, The Righteous Brothers, The Zutons and Neil Young. Full track listing below.

Smith & Myers will co-headline the Come Together virtual music festival on October 8. It's organised by Sound Mind Live, a charity whose aim is to "end the stigma that surrounds mental health and mental illness through the power of music."

The event is timed to celebrate World Mental Health Day on October 10, and will be streamed live on Thursday, October 8 at 3pm UK time/8 pm ET/5 pm PT via the Relix YouTube Channel.

Smith & Myers Vol 1 Tracklist

1. Not Mad Enough
2. Rockin’ In The Free World
3. The Weight of It All
4. Better Now
5. Panic
6. Never Tear Us Apart
7. Coast To Coast
8. Valerie
9. Since You Were Mine
10. Unchained Melody

Smith & Myers Vol 2 Tracklist

1. Bad At Love
2. Bad Guy
3. New School Shiver
4. Sledgehammer
5. GBL GBD
6. Rebel Yell
7. Like You Never Left
8. Losing My Religion
9. One More Time
10. Don’t Look Back In Anger

Smith &amp; Myers Vol 1 and Vol 2 — (Image credit: Atlantic Records)

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.