The White Buffalo (band)

Background

Born in Oregon, and raised in California, Jake Smith grew up listening to Country music and Punk rock. He studied history at university. His largest musical influences are folk singers such as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.

He is known for his wide range in pitch within his singing, incorporation of whistling into his music and his lyrical references to God and war. His singing style has been compared to that of late singer-songwriter Richie Havens.

The White Buffalo's first full-length album, Hogtied Like a Rodeo, debuted in 2002, followed by The White Buffalo EP, produced by Eels' Koool G Murder, which Smith states is about "relationships, love, loss and booze with a little murder mixed in." In a friend's living room in 2008, he re-recorded the first album, dubbing it Hogtied Revisited.

When a bootleg tape of Smith's music made it into the hands of pro surfer Chris Malloy, one of his songs, "Wrong," was featured in his popular surf movie, Shelter. This eventually led to further film scoring and composing work, with three of his songs featured in FX's hit show Sons of Anarchy and Showtime's Californication.

In 2010, a second EP, Prepare for Black and Blue, was recorded in six days by producer Jimmy Messer and released through Chad Stokes' Ruffshod imprint via Nettwerk Records earlier that year. The music and the artist captured the attention of Unison Music's Bruce Witkin and Ryan Dorn, who then signed The White Buffalo and co-produced Once Upon a Time in the West.

In 2013, a fourth LP, Shadows, Greys, and Evil Ways, was released on Unison Music Group. The LP saw positive reviews including NY1 which stated, "Not since Neil Young's Living With War has there been so strong an artistic statement about this country's occupations."

Touring

Over the past few years White Buffalo has played shows both nationally and internationally with acts like Ryan Bingham, Donavan Frankenreiter, Gomez, Xavier Rudd, State Radio, Jack Johnson, Ziggy Marley, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, among many others.

Awards and performances

The White Buffalo was named as one of twelve artists to watch in NPR's 2012 Winter Music Preview.

The White Buffalo's Digital EP, Lost And Found, released 12/6, featuring "Wish It Was True" as heard on Sons of Anarchy (Season 3), was named Billboard Folk Chart "HOT SHOT DEBUT". "House of the Rising Sun" with The Forest Rangers was also featured on Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy.

The White Buffalo performed at the 2011 Bonnaroo Festival and performed on The Living Room Sessions in December 2011.

In August 2014, The White Buffalo performed their songs "This Year" and "The Whistler" on Jimmy Kimmel.

Sons of Anarchy

Jake Smith, from The White Buffalo, sang on the Season 7 finale song, "Come Join The Murder", performed by The Forest Rangers and written by Sons of Anarchy creator, actor and executive producer, Kurt Sutter. Other songs from The White Buffalo which appeared on Sons of Anarchy include "Matador", "Damned", "Wish It Was True", "House of The Rising Sun (cover featuring The Forest Rangers)", "The Whistler", "Set My Body Free", "Sweet Hereafter", "Oh Darling, what have I done" and "Bohemian Rhapsody (cover featuring The Forest Rangers)".

Ernie Ball presents Capturing The White Buffalo

In June 2015, Ernie Ball introduced a ten part docuseries entitled "Ernie Ball presents Capturing The White Buffalo: The Recording of an American Songwriter", which followed Jake as he recorded his album, Love and the Death of Damnation. The series sought to show the audience Jake's process "from inspiration, to writing, fine-tuning, recording, and mixing, to rehearsing and performing live", so they could "experience the trials and tribulations of a modern day troubadour". Initially releasing the teaser trailer on May 18, 2015. The first episode premiered June 19, 2015 with each subsequent episode scheduled to release once per week each Friday leading up to the album's release on August 21, 2015.

Full lengths

Extended plays

Soundtracks

TV licensing

With the placement of "Wrong" in Chris Malloy's movie Shelter, White Buffalo has gained further film scoring and composing success with three of his songs featured in FX's hit show Sons of Anarchy and Showtime's Californication, as well as commercials for Wal-Mart.