‘It feels really good to give back’: Myles Smith on Luton, coping with fame, and support for grassroots music venues
Myles Smith is about to release his debut album, and he sat down with Luton News to talk about his songs, his fame and his love for his hometown.
The 28-year-old singer-songwriter has been playing guitar since he was nine and has always dreamt of being on stage in front of people.
Myles explained: “I used to stand on the edge of my sofa and pretend I was playing to crowds, and now I’m sort of doing it.”
Since he released ‘Stargazing’ in 2024, he has supported Ed Sheeran on his world tour, and now he is ready to drop his first album, ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’.
Myles said: “[The album] is just about existing and being human.
“I wrote it to be a blank canvas for people to paint their own stories on.”
Despite playing arenas, Myles stays grounded through his family and old friends – with his childhood mate accompanying him as his guitarist.
He said: “My guitarist I grew up with since I was like 10… to have the same people around and to be able to do this crazy endeavour together has just been amazing.”
The communities he lived around in Luton helped him to have an “international experience” growing up.
He said: “Growing up in Luton is such a fantastic opportunity that you only become really aware of when you step out into the bigger world. I kind of travelled the world before I ever left Luton.”
From the age of 12, he was getting on stage at open mic nights, and now he wants to highlight the importance of protecting grassroots music venues.
Myles said: “It really is a national conversation about what we are doing to fund and protect these institutions.”
“They play such a big and pivotal role in the musicians that we create in this country.”
It’s been a whirlwind shooting to fame as quickly as he did, and he says he is still adjusting: “You sort of just learn to navigate it a bit better.
“I’m lucky enough to have friends like Ed Sheeran who help me out with not just music, but understanding the transition in life.”
And that’s why coming back to Luton is special for Myles.
He explained: “It’s really nice to walk the streets that I walked growing up.
“All of that foundation and infrastructure around my career has really come from people back home.
“It feels really good to give back to a town that’s given me a lot.”