Biography
British producer, songwriter, and DJ Finlay Dow-Smith performs under the name Starsmith and has built a reputation for blending electronic textures with mainstream pop success, most notably through his extensive collaborations with Ellie Goulding. Their partnership first gained widespread attention in 2009 when he co-wrote and produced multiple tracks on her debut album Lights. Additional credits include high-profile releases by Paloma Faith, Marina and the Diamonds, and Jessie Ware. He also handled songwriting and production duties on Jess Glynne’s first two projects, I Cry When I Laugh and Always in Between, the latter yielding the chart-topping U.K. single “I’ll Be There.” Smith has maintained an enduring creative bond with Goulding that extends to her albums Halcyon and Brightest Blue. On his own, he issued the Lesson One EP in 2011 and, in 2024, the single “Leave Me Slowly,” co-written with Goulding.
Born in Bromley, London, England, in 1988, Smith developed an early fascination with music during his teenage years and later earned a degree in classical saxophone performance from the University of Surrey. While still a student he met Ellie Goulding, and the pair quickly began writing material together. After Goulding secured a deal with Polydor Records, Lights (along with its expanded edition Bright Lights) appeared in 2009, showcasing Smith’s production, songwriting, and instrumental work on tracks such as the hits “Starry Eyed” and “Guns and Horses.” The album reached the top of the U.K. albums chart and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200. In the ensuing two years he joined Goulding on tour and leveraged that exposure to produce recordings for Marina and the Diamonds, Erik Hassle, Kylie Minogue, and Cheryl Cole.
Smith launched his solo career in 2011 with the Lesson One EP while continuing to assist Goulding on her 2012 follow-up Halcyon, which contained the song “Dead in the Water,” later featured on the Divergent soundtrack. Further production and writing assignments encompassed substantial contributions to Jess Glynne’s I Cry When I Laugh as well as Paloma Faith’s The Architect, Jessie Ware’s Glasshouse, and Rae Morris’s Someone Out There. He also worked with Lily Allen and Cloves, and scored another U.K. number-one single by co-writing and producing “I’ll Be There” for Glynne’s 2018 album Always in Between. Subsequent projects involved Dermot Kennedy, Oh Wonder, and Rationale before he rejoined Goulding for her fourth album, Brightest Blue, released in 2020. That same year he collaborated with Gracey, Josie Man, and Paloma Faith, co-writing the track “Monster” with the latter artist and MNEK. In 2024 Smith resumed his solo output with “Leave Me Slowly,” co-written alongside Goulding and Sarah Troy.
Born in Bromley, London, England, in 1988, Smith developed an early fascination with music during his teenage years and later earned a degree in classical saxophone performance from the University of Surrey. While still a student he met Ellie Goulding, and the pair quickly began writing material together. After Goulding secured a deal with Polydor Records, Lights (along with its expanded edition Bright Lights) appeared in 2009, showcasing Smith’s production, songwriting, and instrumental work on tracks such as the hits “Starry Eyed” and “Guns and Horses.” The album reached the top of the U.K. albums chart and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200. In the ensuing two years he joined Goulding on tour and leveraged that exposure to produce recordings for Marina and the Diamonds, Erik Hassle, Kylie Minogue, and Cheryl Cole.
Smith launched his solo career in 2011 with the Lesson One EP while continuing to assist Goulding on her 2012 follow-up Halcyon, which contained the song “Dead in the Water,” later featured on the Divergent soundtrack. Further production and writing assignments encompassed substantial contributions to Jess Glynne’s I Cry When I Laugh as well as Paloma Faith’s The Architect, Jessie Ware’s Glasshouse, and Rae Morris’s Someone Out There. He also worked with Lily Allen and Cloves, and scored another U.K. number-one single by co-writing and producing “I’ll Be There” for Glynne’s 2018 album Always in Between. Subsequent projects involved Dermot Kennedy, Oh Wonder, and Rationale before he rejoined Goulding for her fourth album, Brightest Blue, released in 2020. That same year he collaborated with Gracey, Josie Man, and Paloma Faith, co-writing the track “Monster” with the latter artist and MNEK. In 2024 Smith resumed his solo output with “Leave Me Slowly,” co-written alongside Goulding and Sarah Troy.
Singles
