The Smiths hail from Highland Perthshire and through that side of his family, Alex has inherited a deep-rooted love of Scottish song. He is a singer-songwriter, with a background in blues and rock. In the last few years, he has drifted back to his folk roots and, working with Laverock, has discovered a facility for coming up with new airs to traditional material. He finds special inspiration in the songs and poems of Robert Burns and their insistence on the essential nobility of simplicity. He plays a number of musical instruments including piano, harmonica, accordion, guitar and mandoline.