hometown: Victoria, BC
Brett Smith-Daniels: Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Matt Sorum: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
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Bio
Active in the music industry since the age of 13, Brett Smith-Daniels (now 30) has been described by former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum as ”The Future of Rock N’ Roll” and legendary guitarist Walter Trout as ”the future of the blues.” First coming to national recognition in Canada in 2012 after appearing on CBC’s Dragons Den, where he was offered $100k by Kevin O’Leary, Smith-Daniels — then 15 — took the unusual step of turning the offer down and going back to busking.
At age 19, he was discovered by famed rock photographer Robert M. Knight who flew him to Los Angeles to meet with Julian Lennon’s then-manager, Marcy Kraft. It was on this fateful trip to L.A. that Smith-Daniels connected with Matt Sorum of Guns N’ Roses, who’s since become a mentor and a pivotal figure in Smith-Daniels’ career. Around the same time, Smith-Daniels began his career as a session musician, filling in with Ben Waters (The Stones/Cher) on many English gigs and ending up on stages with Mick Taylor (The Stones), Chris Jagger, and more.
He then assembled The Villanovas, and attempted to take on the British Indie scene, garnering international recognition and touring in Mexico, Canada, and the UK, before their disbandment in 2018.
Smith-Daniels has relocated to his hometown, Victoria BC, to start fresh. After thousands of gigs at Bard and Banker, Irish Times, and Darcy’s, he’s begun to regain his place in the international music industry after joining the Walter Trout Band in 2024.
Discography
The Villanovas (EP, 2014)
The Villanovas Honest Man (EP, 2015)
The Villanovas Bitter Seeds (EP, 2017)
Brett Smith-Daniels City Life (EP, 2018)
Teenagers From Mars (single, 2021)
Blinded (single, 2021)
Is There A Meaning (single, 2025)
Validation (single, 2025, re-releasing August 2026)
Latest news
Brett has just launched a new band The Slax with another former Guns N’ Roses member, Frank Ferrer, on drums, alongside Band of Skulls frontman Russell Marsden, up-and-coming British rock singer Chris Payn and Austrian virtuoso bassist Stefan Bielik. In The Slax, Brett shares the roll of frontman with Chris and Russell as well as handling guitar. The Slax have just featured in Rolling Stone Magazine, People Mag, AOL, Yahoo! Entertainment, and Loudwire in July 2026. Brett also recently sat in with Chris Jagger in London, and is currently recording with The Slax.
MP3s
Brett Smith-Daniels – Validation (download)
Brett Smith-Daniels – Blinded (download)
Brett Smith-Daniels – Is there a meaning? (Life on Earth) (download)
