where Smith experimented with reggae structures in several tracks. His final pop/rock album came in 2012, Mister Sparklepants. Americana music period In 2012 Smith transitioned to Americana, or American roots music, a subgenre of country music. He wrote and produced the album "Yellow Trailer" originally released on Smith's own Chinese Sock Puppet Records in 2013, but was remastered and re-released in 2015 on Suburban Cowboy Records. That album was entered into the Grammy Awards the year. In 2014 Smith was asked by producer Art Greenhaw to sing on several tracks of a Roots Gospel album. He contributed with lead vocals and with one original song of his own "Where Main Street Ends," a gospel version of a song that he had written. This album was entered into the roots gospel category of the Grammys in 2014. At the end of 2014, Smith was invited by New York producer Perry Margouleff to travel to England and assist him in several shows that singer Paul Rodgers (Bad Company, Free) was doing at the Royal Albert Hall. Smith worked behind the scenes on the entire tour. In 2015, Smith was asked to narrate a song on a spoken word album that was being produced by Hawaiian-based DJ Cindy Paulos, called Arise Above Abuse: Artists Speak Out for Women. He co-narrated the track "One in Five" with Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. He also provided the music for this track and contributed an original song about the kidnapping of women and girls in Africa called "She Would Not Bow Her Head." (from Smith's 2012 Album "Mister Sparklepants"). His next album, "Dust Bowl - American Stories," was released on Suburban Cowboy Records in 2017 and features bassist William Wittman of Cyndi Lauper, and drummer Skoota Warner, as well as keyboardist Tommy Mandel, formerly of Bryan Adams and Dire Straits, who performed on the basic tracks of the album. Production then moved to Nashville, where additional tracks were recorded by IBGMA award-winning dobro player Rob Ickes, fiddle player Steve Stokes of Alabama, cellist Tim Lorsch of Keith Urban, Percy Sledge, accordion player Jeff Taylor of The Time Jumpers, percussionist and drummer Matt Burgess of Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jewel, pedal steel player Mike Johnson, of Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton, violinist Lorenza Ponce of Bon Jovi, Adele, Sam Smith, and violinist Rocio Marron of The Voice, under the supervision of co-producer Jeff Silverman. Because "Dust Bowl -