About

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Craving the juicy details? Click the + button to expand each one and dive into the inside scoop (or, as we like to call it here: the deets).

Ready? Buckle up:

Well… actually, it’s Sasha Kristen Smith.

Yep, not one, but two girl unisex names. I think my parents were secretly hoping for a girl — can’t blame them!

But one unisex name is enough, so I go by Sasha Smith — didn’t want to risk appearing too cool by using both of them…

It’s definitely not because I got teased about it in school. And I’m absolutely not overcompensating by explaining it here. Nope, nothing like that.

Onwards.

For the finger-counters: I’m 31.

Born 22 Jan 1993 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain — home of the awe-inspiring Tamborrada.

Legend has it my dad’s never driven faster than the night I was born, with my mum waving a white handkerchief out the window of their famously speedy Renault R11.

Since August 2021, I’ve lived in beautiful, peaceful Lekunberri, Spain — my favourite place so far. You can’t beat the quiet of a small town.

Other places I’ve called home:

  • London (2013–2014) → A brief maths degree stint at Imperial College, before dropping out to pursue music.
  • Madrid (2017–2019) → Music production at SAE Madrid. Loved the big-city vibe — the way everyone ignores you (in a good way) nudges you to embrace your weirdo self.

If I had to pick a tag, it would be singer-songwriter.

The short version: I picked up an acoustic guitar at 14, started writing songs, and never stopped.

Songwriting is my personal form of therapy — it’s one of the practices that keep me sane. It’s also the one thing I know I’ll do every day for the rest of my life.

I’m also a music producer, mostly for myself but sometimes for others.

What I play:

  • Acoustic guitar → This is what I do best.
  • Electric guitar → Quickly realised I wasn’t interested in solos — focused on creating texture and rhythm instead.
  • Bass → So soothing. If I had to become a session musician, I’d focus on bass.
  • Harmonica → Love a good harp. We must bring it back, especially for that acoustic singer-songwriter pour-your-heart-out vibe, where you want to die.
  • Drums → I learnt to play so I could communicate to real drummers what I wanted in their language — it worked.
  • Perc → Always end up on tambourine and shakers — oddly, I’m kind of a pro.
  • Piano/Keys → Confined to three-finger playing, but great for pads and simple arrangements.

For a while, I got caught up in industry standards — obsessing over gear and results instead of feel and taste. That slowed my output down, left me creatively stiffened, and honestly, unhappy.

Lately, I’ve rediscovered joy in production, approaching it in a much more honest, raw, and minimal way.

For the gear-heads:

  • Mic → Neumann TLM-103
  • Acoustic → Tanglewood 115ST (my trusty companion since age 14)
  • Electric → Gibson ES-339
  • Bass → Fender P (technically belongs to my friend Ioseba)
  • Harps → Hohner Marine Band
  • Audio interface → UAD Apollo Twin Mk. II
  • PC → Self-built
  • Percussion → LP tambourine + assortment of shakers (current fave: white egg shaker — soft, smooooth)

My favourite music feels timeless and tells a story.

I’m drawn to the crossroads of craft, intuition, and meaning.

I’m not too attached to specific eras or sounds — gun to my head: late ’60s & early ’70s.

Listen to my music here → Music

I write to think. It’s how I work through ideas, emotions, and problems — putting pen to paper always brings clarity.

I write to remember. I’ve journaled daily since 2018, inspired by Ryan Holiday. My journaling isn’t rigid: sometimes it’s a log of the previous day, other times it’s thoughts on an idea, and there’s also the occasional rant.

Tools I use:

  • Digital Notes → Obsidian (for notes, tasks, and plans).
  • Physical Notebooks →
    • Journal: Used The Daily Stoic Journal (2018–2023); switched to Rhodia notebooks in 2024 for more flexibility.
    • Pocket Notebook: Inspired by Aaron Draplin, I take one everywhere. Chaotic but great for thinking on the go.
    • Exercise Log: Tracking every workout, a habit I picked up from my dad and his detailed running logs.
    • Life Moments: A mini “greatest hits” of big life events (when I remember to write them down).
    • Routines & Habits: To track what works and why past attempts failed.
    • Running, Cycling, Swimming Notes: Technique tips, mental breakthroughs, etc.
    • Songwriting Notebooks: Mainly Moleskine XL Ruled Cahier Journals. Black.
    • Project Notebooks: Big projects get their own. I’m currently tracking an EP and LP using Moleskine L Ruled Cahier Journals. Kraft Brown.
    • Labels: I use a Dymo Omega Embosser for labeling. Essential once you have lots of notebooks — plus, I’m a sucker for the vintage vibe!

I’ve always written privately, but I’ve resisted sharing it. Part of me clung to being just a musician. Another part doubted my essays, poems, and stories would hold weight.

But I’m working to align my actions with my values — to live the life I want, not the one I’m supposed to fit into. That’s why I’ve started sharing my writing:

  • Thoughts and musings → Essays
  • Notes on what I read → Book Notes
  • Poems → Poetry (mostly in Spanish for now)

I’ve been making music for a long time. While I’m no virtuoso, I know my craft well enough to have a clear direction whenever I apply ass to chair to write or produce.

But with that comfort comes a loss of “beginner’s mind” — where intuition leads to unexpected, beautiful moments.

That’s why, in 2019, inspired by my night terrors (more on that soon), I turned to abstract painting — which had been quietly calling me.

  • No training.
  • Not one of those wonderkid prodigies who could draw like crazy.
  • And I couldn’t have told you that azure, cobalt, and admiral are types of blue (Googled that).

But let me tell you: experimenting with a new artform was so damn good for me. I felt free in not knowing where I was headed, in the lack of a process to follow — it was fun, so fun.

As for the night terrors, I’ve had them forever. I sleepwalk, talk, shout — sometimes go on full adventures!

The recurring figures and faces that appear in my bedroom (I even interact with them), became the focus of my painting.

Sure, perfectionism tried to creep in. I even thought about learning traditional techniques. But I realised my loose, naïve approach to painting is what then helps me elsewhere in life, so I embraced it again.

Here’s the unexpected part: painting has changed my music.

There’s a transfer, a flow of something between creative outlets.

Painting, with its fluidity and the confidence each brushstroke requires, has anchored me in the present and taught me to embrace a slower pace. It’s made my feel more instinctive and my connection to music more immediate.

Poetry feels a lot like painting in that sense. While I know way more about writing than painting (thanks to songwriting), starting to write poems in 2024 has had a similarly liberating effect as painting did in 2019. It’s made my songwriting more raw, more direct, more real.

These “secondary” artistic outlets, where I know so much less than in music, force me to be intuitive and let go — and that’s the best part.

See my paintings here → Paintings

A “perpetual foreigner” is someone seen as alien or not fully belonging, no matter their citizenship, language, or generational ties.

  • My parents are English (though my mum grew up in Argentina).
  • My name is Russian in origin and rare where I grew up.
  • I was born and raised in the Basque Country, Spain (let’s not even get into that!).
  • I hold British citizenship and speak English, Spanish, and Basque (though my Basque is a little rusty now).

This mix makes me an eccentric blend, but as a kid, I didn’t feel out of place.

Sure, I called my mum “mummy” instead of “ama” (Basque for mum) and flew to visit family instead of driving a couple of hours, but it all felt normal.

It wasn’t until much later in life that I understood how different my situation had been.

Dual-Identity

“The condition of holding two distinct cultural, national, or social identities simultaneously.

It often describes individuals who navigate multiple cultural frameworks due to their heritage, migration, or upbringing in multicultural environments.

While dual-identity can enrich one’s perspective, it may also lead to challenges in reconciling conflicting values, expectations, or senses of belonging.”

💥 That’s when it all clicked!

I’ve always been the English kid in Spain (aka a guiri) and the Spaniard for family overseas. Pair that with being an artist — a natural outsider — and foreignness has become part of me, like it or not.

It’s also why I feel a kinship with the underdogs, the outsiders, the eccentrics, the weirdos.

And I like that — the fringes of society are where the most interesting people and ideas thrive!

Cal Newport, in Digital Minimalism, references Kethledge and Erwin’s definition of solitude from Lead Yourself First:

“Solitude can be found as readily while sitting alone in a restaurant as it can on Mount Rainier.

It is not an objective concept but a subjective one.

It is, simply, a subjective state of mind, in which the mind, isolated from input from other minds, works through a problem on its own.”

(Emphasis mine.)

In other words: “Freedom from inputs from other minds.”

I lean towards introversion (probably an extroverted introvert, technically). But one thing’s for sure: I need solitude. A lot of it.

For me, solitude looks like:

  • Time alone in my studio.
  • Long, solo walks.
  • Randomly playing my songs — not deliberate practice or songwriting, more like self-therapy through music.
  • Letting myself be “bored” instead of checking devices constantly.

To be clear (despite my sister’s teasing), I am not a hermit. I love spending time with family, friends, and being part of society.

I just don’t need it as often as others. I’ve become pretty good at maintaining the balance that works for me, which often involves:

  • Saying no to plans.
  • Scheduling alone time after social events.
  • Friends understanding I’m not a big texter.

What solitude does for my mind, daily exercise does for my body.

Every day at 12:30 — rain or shine — I head out to train.

This isn’t the same as my solitude walks, those feed the soul (they aren’t for exercise) — while this is purely for physical well-being.

I train in 3 sports:

  • Running
  • Cycling
  • Swimming (still learning — your 4-year-old probably swims faster than me)

For the runners: my fastest 5k is 20:12, and I recently ran the Behobia in 1:32 (that’s ~4:34/km for 20km).

I post all my training on Strava — the only social media app I actually like. If you’re on it, let’s connect!

I have my parents to thank for instilling in me the joy of reading.

They always had books going, each with their own favourite genres. Seeing that as a kid made me want to read too — so much so that I even convinced my teacher to give us a weekly reading hour. Everyone loved it:

  • 1 hour of reading for those who enjoyed it.
  • 1 hour of no class for those who didn’t.
  • 1 hour of blissful silence for the teacher.

My reading habits and taste continually evolve, but here are some favourites:

How I read changes — sometimes I’m all about my Kindle, other times I want nothing but hardcovers. But the format doesn’t matter. What matters is wrestling with the ideas, having conversations with the authors in my notebooks, and translating those learnings into my life.

View my notes → Book Notes

  • In love with the small web and the slow web.
  • I can solve the Rubik’s Cube in ~20s (OK, closer to 1 min now, but I could do it in 20s when I was 15 and practiced all day).
  • Played the violin as a kid — wasn’t great at it. Football (soccer), on the other hand, I was pretty good at.
  • Enjoy chess (learnt it as a kid), but rarely play these days — if I play, I want to play right, and that takes more time and mental space than I’m willing to give.
  • Not a huge gamer, but two recent favourites: Stardew Valley and RDR2. Currently in early stages of making a videogame with my friends, more about this in the future.
  • I enjoy philosophy and thinking deeply about ideas. Favourites include the Stoics, Nietzsche, Camus, Bertrand Russell, Emerson, Thoreau.
  • Got really into card magic as a teenager. Add that to my list of ultra-cool hobbies: Rubik’s Cube, chess, magic, violin… Popularity was my destiny.
  • If there’s a fire and a TV, I’ll be looking at the fire.
  • I don’t consume news. Funny how I still always know what’s going on.
  • Raspberry jam enthusiast — Bonne Maman is unmatched.

I’ve been with my girlfriend Marta almost 10 years. We met at one of my concerts — it was her birthday, there’s even video of the moment, we look so young ❤

Two mysterious creatures live with us. We’re pretty sure they control us, not the other way around. Meet them:

Midnight (b. circa Jun 2022)
Snowy (b. circa Apr 2023)

I have a much older brother and sister. They love when I emphasize much older.

My parents are alive and thriving. Honestly, they’re more millennial than me, and my friends think they have English accents when they speak Spanish.

I’m 5’8. I know people love knowing others’ heights, it’s a thing.

Not sure what else to add here. Email me if you have burning questions 😂

  • I’m a positive, optimistic person.
  • Making people laugh makes me happy.
  • As an artist, I’m focused on the long-term: ownership, durability, antifragility.
  • I’m fuelled by the idea of legacy because it motivates me to create more now, not because I care about being remembered. When I’m gone, I’m gone.
  • I believe in slow productivity.
  • I’m a digital minimalist.
  • I’m against the brandification of artists.
  • I’m learning to extract the good parts of my perfectionism while battling against the bad parts by learning to let go.
  • I’m open-minded and love learning — I’m naturally curious.
  • I admire people with strong opinions — but not those who always need to be right. That’s exhausting.
  • I aim to listen more than I talk.
  • I try to be the friend who keeps in touch — not with quick messages but real, meaningful time together, ideally in person.
  • In the world, I strive to be kind, empathetic, and fun.

I’m done chasing “making it” as a musician.

No more energy for:

  • Social media strategies
  • Facebook ads
  • Spotify playlisting
  • Industry networking

These things have taken too much of my time (and money) and given too little in return.

From now on:

This shift has been building inside me for years — a radical realignment to do the work I want to do, leaving behind the distractions of the unimportant.

I’m excited about what’s ahead. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

You’re always welcome.

Phew, that’s enough about me.

Now it’s your turn!

Please reach out.

Introduce yourself. Share your story, your web, or anything cool you’re up to. I’d love to hear from you.

My email is → sasha@sashasmith.net

Let’s chat!