Eli Smart

Eli Smart labels his vibrant, tuneful fusion of pop and rock “aloha soul,” shaped equally by the sonic backdrop of his Hawaiian childhood and an eclectic array of classic rock, R&B, and alternative reference points. The independent debut single “Come On, Come On, Come On” marked his initial breakthrough, after which he steadily expanded his output through further singles and EPs such as Boonie Town (2020) and Aloha Soul (2022), strengthening his profile as a support act for Declan McKenna.

Smart entered the world on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where his family, though originally from elsewhere, embraced the music and culture of America’s 50th state. Raised in a household of musicians—his grandmother Diane Kaufman performed guitar with the San Francisco rock band the Ace of Cups (who opened for Jimi Hendrix) and contributed vocals to releases by Jefferson Airplane and Mike Bloomfield—he received encouragement to explore songwriting and performance, first picking up drums before moving to guitar. Drawing from a broad palette of influences that encompassed the Beatles, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Modest Mouse, and João Gilberto, Smart chose to salute the Fab Four by enrolling at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (co-founded by Paul McCartney) and embedding himself in the local circuit as an open-mike performer. During this period he issued his first self-released single, 2018’s “Come On, Come On, Come On,” a dreamy, gradual guitar-pop number.

Additional independent singles appeared, among them “Hope I Don’t Fall in Love” and “No Destination,” leading the U.K. label Polydor to add Smart to its roster. That development was soon tempered by the arrival of COVID-19 lockdowns, which prompted his return to Kauai. He eventually released the EP Boonie Town (2021), which included the infectious tracks “Highschool Steady” and “Cruella Deville.” Its successor, Aloha Soul (2022), reflected his mindset during the COVID-19 lockdowns and was captured in his childhood bedroom on Kauai; the set centered on highlights such as “Cry at the Comedy” and “AM to PM.”

In 2023 Smart resumed independent releases, among them the singles “Fiesta 99.9FM,” “Jackie,” and “How Come?” By then he had connected with British singer/songwriter Declan McKenna via their shared producer Gianluca Buccellati. Recognizing Smart’s guitar skills, McKenna invited him to contribute to the 2024 album What Happened to the Beach? and invited him to open dates on a North American tour. Smart concluded the year with his debut album, No Summer, which gathered the strongest material from his prior EPs and singles, followed by the new track “Game Face.”