Armistead Burwell Smith IV
| Armistead Burwell Smith IV | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Armistead Burwell Smith IV |
| Also known as | Zach Smith, ABSIV, ABS4 |
| Born | May 30, 1970 |
| Origin | Encinitas, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie rock, art punk |
| Years active | 1991-present |
| Labels | Touch and Go, Ace Fu, Temporary Residence Limited |
| Website | Systems Officer |
Armistead Burwell Smith IV (also known as Zach Smith.) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. Smith recorded many of his own albums including Autumn of the Seraphs.
Smith began playing bass in 1984 at the age of 14 after he and his high school (Torrey Pines High School, Del Mar, CA) friends were looking to form a reggae band, which they named White Lion (seemingly unaware of the heavy metal band of the same name). Smith attributes his sound to "being bored" playing single note basslines. Smith developed his sound by experimenting with different harmonies on the bass, a style that would later become his signature. Smith was largely self-taught and tried to do "different things with the bass"
Born in San Diego, California, he first came to attention as the bass guitarist for rock band Three Mile Pilot. Smith's distinctive playing style and complex fretwork technique defines the overall sound of the band. This was clear as early as their first record Nà Vuccà Dò Lupù, on which Smith's bass was the only harmony instrument. Rumored attempts to change Three Mile Pilot's sound during the band's short tenure with major label Geffen Records persuaded Smith to separate from the band (and the label) and form Pinback with Rob Crow. Three Mile Pilot reformed and released an album, The Inevitable Past is the Future Forgotten, in 2010.
Pinback is a band formed and headed by Smith and Rob Crow in 1998. It is Smith’s most commercially successful project to date. Smith and Crow played music together as early as their days as roommates, and had never released any music. His break from Three Mile Pilot served as a good opportunity for the two to collaborate. Pinback often features Zach's innovative bass playing, with a unique layering of instruments, drum machines, and rich vocals. The band's original recordings, that later became their first album, This Is a Pinback CD, were recorded on Smith's personal computer. To date the band has recorded five studio albums, with the latest, Information Retrieved, released on October 16, 2012.
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