In his single “Highschool Steady,” indie-pop artist Eli Smart captures the feelings of fond melancholy that accompany coming home while maturing and building a life somewhere new. The song comes off his debut EP Boonie Town, featuring tracks that combine his upbringing on the island of Kauai in Hawaii with his music education in Liverpool, England. Last week, Smart released a live version of “Highschool Steady,” featuring a jam session in his old bedroom on Kauai. It captures the hazy golden sunshine, well-loved guitar strings, and sounds of old friends harmonizing that embody the song.
Photo Credit: Sami Livé
In an article on MXDWN, which premiered the video, he describes the band that played with him as “the dream team,” saying, “I got all my mates together and we learned the tune in a few takes, they’re all such amazing players! I even got my dad to play Hawaiian lap steel guitar for this version, it glued the live version together in such a beautiful way. The band is Jordan Paul on the lemon shaker and backing vocals, Kaniho on bass, Cory Mira on guitar, Kirk Smart on lap steel, and Hamster on drums. Shot by Cliff Mello and recorded by Andrew Vastola!”
Smart grew up surrounded by music, from his family’s influence to his job on the island’s only record shop, Hanalei Strings. Reminiscing on that time in his life, he says that, "We put a stage in the corner and put on gig nights there with my mates and whatnot. We created a little environment, so it was very much like a music camp for my family. Their passion for it was directly transferred to me.”
This live version of “Highschool Steady” feels just like a gig night with friends, where the listener can soak up high, dreamy guitar riffs and steady beats from drums and shakers that shape optimistic vibes even in the face of melancholy. He delivers it in the style all his own that he refers to as Aloha Soul.
Boonie Town is available now, along with the live version of “Highschool Steady” on Eli Smart’s Youtube channel.
Photo Courtesy of Grandstand Media