Under the Radar: Nicole Cassandra Smit

Nicole Cassandra Smit is no stranger to this column, having been featured as part of the trio Smitten, but her latest music vehicle takes her to new artistic heights. Co-writing with producer Chris Grieve and pioneering Edinburgh musician Joseph Malik, this week saw her release her second single under her own name.

Titled Role Models, it pays homage to her mother and grandmother and features on what is set to be one of the most impressive Scottish LPs of 2022, Third In Line. A concept album, it begins with the trauma of previous generations, before exploring Smit’s formative years and ends with a focus on transformation, expansion and dealing with pain.

Musically it is a compelling melting pot, which opens with string-infused bombast (imagine Shirley Bassey versioning Kashmir) and includes a range of instruments including sousaphone, trumpet, trombone and cello, Smit having enlisted more than a dozen artists drawn from the capital’s vibrant scene.

A launch party takes place at La Belle Angele in Edinburgh on 26 June, ahead of an appearance at Kelburn Garden Party (3 July) and the official release on 8 July. Expect Nicole Cassandra Smit to go far. See www.nicolecassandrasmit.com

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, www.borntobewide.co.uk

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