Starsmith
Introduction '''Finlay Dow-Smith''' (born 8 July 1988), known professionally as '''Starsmith''', is a British songwriter and producer. He co-wrote and produced "Good Thing" by Zedd and Kehlani, and "I'll Be There" by Jess Glynne which went to number one in the UK and was nominated for Best Single at the 2019 Brit Awards.He also co-wrote and produced "Crybaby" by Paloma Faith, as well as producing "Hold My Hand" by Jess Glynne, and "Real Love" by Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne. He co-wrote and produced the majority of Ellie Goulding's debut album ''Lights''. Following its release in 2010, it went straight to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart. The album has gone on to sell over 2,000,000 copies worldwide. He teamed up again with Goulding on her second number-one album, ''Halcyon'', producing and co-writing three songs on the album.He was nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2018 A&R Awards, as well as the Music Producers Guild Breakthrough Producer of the Year in 2011.
Career He studied a classical music degree at the University of Surrey, majoring in performance on saxophone and graduating in 2009.He met Ellie Goulding during his final year and together they started creating what would become her debut album, which was then signed to Polydor Records a few months after he graduated. They are reportedly in the studio working on Ellie Goulding's 4th album.Starsmith toured with Goulding in 2009 and 2010, and also played with her on ''Later... with Jools Holland'' in 2009, playing bass guitar. He is a noted instrumentalist, additionally playing piano and guitar, but his main instrument is the saxophone.In December 2011, he was the subject of an episode of the Red Bull and Vice documentary series, ''The Producers''. In March 2014, the track "Dead In The Water" that he co-wrote and produced with Ellie Goulding was included in the promotion and soundtrack for the film ''Divergent'', which opened at No.1 at the Worldwide Box Office.In 2015, he co-wrote and produced seven songs with Jess Glynne on her number one debut album ''I Cry When I Laugh'', including the single "Hold My Hand", which spent four weeks at number 1 in the UK and sold over two million copies worldwide. In 2017, he collaborated with Paloma Faith on her number one album ''The Architect'', co-writing and producing five songs. Their first writing session together resulted in the lead single "Crybaby". That year he also wrote songs with Jessie Ware for her album ''Glasshouse'' and with Rae Morris for her album, ''Someone Out There''. He worked with Cloves and her longtime writing partner Justin Parker on singles from her debut album. "Bringing the House Down", their first collaboration, was released in early 2018 as the album's lead single.He co-wrote and produced the lead single "I'll Be There" for Jess Glynne's second album. The song went to number one in the UK, achieving their second chart-topper, and third top 3 single together.
Songwriting and production credits  Title Year Artist(s) Album Credits Written with Produced with "Under the Sheets" 2009 Ellie Goulding ''Under the Sheets EP'' / ''Lights'' Co-writer/Producer Elena Goulding - "Fighter Plane" ''Under the Sheets EP'' Elena Goulding - "Hollywood" 2010 Marina and the Diamonds ''The Family Jewels'' Producer - Richard Stannard, Ash Howes "Hurtful" Erik Hassle ''Pieces'' - Grizzly, Tommy Tysper "Starry Eyed" Ellie Goulding ''Lights'' - - "Guns and Horses" - - "The Writer" - - "Every Time You Go" Co-writer/Producer Elena Goulding, Jonathan Fortis - "I'll Hold My Breath" Elena Goulding - "This Love (Will Be Your Downfall)" Elena Goulding - "Salt Skin" Elena Goulding - "You'll Never Get to Heaven" Diana Vickers ''Song from the TaintedCherry Tree'' Diana Vickers, Cass Lowe - "Put Your Hands Up (If You FeelLove)" Kylie Minogue ''Aphrodite'' Olivia Nervo, Miriam Nervo Stuart Price "Yeah Yeah" Cheryl Cole ''Messy Little Raindrops'' Wayne Hector, Travis McCoy - "Human" Ellie Goulding ''Bright Lights'' Elena Goulding - "Animal" Elena Goulding - "Burn" 2011 Clare Maguire ''Light After Dark'' Clare Maguire - "High" Big Sean ''Finally Famous'' Co-writer - - "Dead in the Water" 2012 Ellie Goulding ''Halcyon'' Co-writer/Producer Elena Goulding - "The Ending" Elena Goulding - "Without Your Love" Elena Goulding - "Us and Ours" 2013 Mark Owen ''The Art of Doing Nothing'' Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton Charlie Russell, Bradley Spence "S.A.D." Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton Charlie Russell, Bradley Spence "End of Everything" Co-writer Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton - "Ghost" Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton - "Morning Belle" Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton - "The Lamb" Mark Owen, Benjamin Mark, Jamie Norton - "Somebody" Fenech-Soler ''Rituals'' Co-writer/Producer Daniel Fenech-Soler, Andrew Lindsay, Ross Duffy, Benjamn Duffy Fenech-Soler, Ross Duffy, Ben Duffy "Glow" - Fenech-Soler, Ross Duffy, Ben Duffy "Better" 2014 Betty Who ''Take Me When You Go'' Co-writer/Producer Jessica Newham, Scott Hoffman - "Real Love" Clean Bandit ''New Eyes'' / ''I Cry When I Laugh'' Producer - Clean Bandit, The Six "Hold My Hand" 2015 Jess Glynne ''I Cry When I Laugh'' - Jack Patterson "Fight for Love" Kwabs ''Love + War'' - Al Shux "Staring at the Sun" Mika ''No Place in Heaven'' Additional producer - Martin Terefe "Preach" M.O  Co-writer/Producer Fransesca Connolly, Edward Thomas, Joel Compass, Fredrick Gibson, Annie Ashcroft - "Gave Me Something" Jess Glynne ''I Cry When I Laugh'' Jessica Glynne, Andrew "Knox" Brown, Janee Bennett Knox Brown "Ain't Got Far to Go" Jessica Glynne, Janee Bennett Knox Brown "You Can Find Me" Jessica Glynne, Talay Riley - "It Ain't Right" Jessica Glynne, James Newman - "No Rights No Wrongs" Jessica Glynne, Andrew "Knox" Brown, Janee Bennett, Jonathan Coffer, James Newman Knox Brown "Don't Follow Me" Ella Eyre ''Feline'' Ella McMahon, Natalia Hajjara Jay Reynolds "Is it Love" 2016 3LAU  Justin Blau, Jonathan Curtis 3LAU "Power" Petite Meller ''Lil Empire'' Syvan Miller - "Better By Your Side feat. Tom Aspaul" Aeble Better By Your Side Tom Aspaul - "California Numb" 2017 Cloves ''One Big Nothing'' Kaity Dunstan, Justin Parker Ian Barter "I Don't Know" Molly Kate Kestner  Molly Kate Kestner, Amy Wadge - "Crybaby" Paloma Faith ''The Architect'' Paloma Faith, Lindy Robbins, Cleo Tighe - "Good Times" Elderbrook ''Talking'' Alexander Kotz - "First Time" Jessie Ware ''Glasshouse'' Jessica Ware, James Newman - "Evolution" Paloma Faith ''The Architect'' Producer - Paloma Faith "I'll Be Gentle" - Jesse Shatkin "Politics of Hope" - Paloma Faith "Still Around" - Klas Ahlund "Pawns" Co-writer/Producer - Paloma Faith "My Body" Paloma Faith, Andrew "Knox" Brown, Janee Bennett Knox Brown "Bloodstains" 2018 Rhys Lewis ''Bad Timing EP'' Co-writer Rhys Lewis, Ian Barter, O. Martin - "Family Man" Lily Allen ''No Shame'' Additional producer - Mark Ronson "Dancing with Character" Rae Morris ''Someone Out There'' Co-writer/Producer Rachel Morris, Benjamin Garrett - "Bringing the House Down" Cloves ''One Big Nothing'' Kaity Dunstan, Ariel Rechtshaid, Justin Parker - "Kiss Me In The Dark" Kaity Dunstan, Justin Parker - "Hit Me Hard" Kaity Dunstan, Justin Parker - "I'll Be There" Jess Glynne ''Always in Between'' Jessica Glynne, Camille Purcell, Henrik Michelsen, Edvard Erfjord, Jerker Hanssen Electric "Won't Say No" Jessica Glynne, Janee Bennett, Clarence Coffee Jr. - "Rollin" Producer - Fred Gibson "Million Reasons" Co-writer/Producer Jessica Glynne, Sara Hjellstrom, Nirob Islam - "Final Breath" Paloma Faith ''The Architect: ZeitgeistEdition'' Paloma Faith, Stephan Moccio, Clarence Coffee Jr.  - "Older" Paloma Faith, Cleo Tighe - "High Hopes" Rationale ''High Hopes EP'' Rationale Rationale "73" Co-writer Rationale - "Hallelujah" 2019 Oh Wonder ''Hallelujah'' Additional producer - Oh Wonder "Like I Love You" Shells ''Like I Love You'' Co-writer/Producer Shells - "The Corner" Dermot Kennedy ''Without Fear'' Dermot Kennedy, Scott Harris - "Good Thing" Zedd and Kehlani  Cleo Tighe, Lostboy Zedd "How It Goes" 2020 Oh Wonder ''No One Else Can Wear Your Crown'' Oh Wonder Oh Wonder "Drunk On You" Oh Wonder, Larzz Principato Oh Wonder "Pieces" Navvy ''The Final Pieces EP'' Navvy, Rory Adams - "Get Away" Hayley Gene Penner ''People You Follow'' Hayley Gene Penner - "Lonely People" HyytsHyyts, Rationale "How Deep Is Too Deep" Ellie Goulding ''Brightest Blue'' Ellie Goulding, Joe Kearns - "Cyan" Ellie Goulding, Joe Kearns, Jim Eliot Joe Kearns, Jim Eliot "Tides" Ellie Goulding, Joe Kearns - "Woman" Producer Joe Kearns, Eli Teplin - "SOS" Hyyts ''SOS'' - Rationale"Lose" Niki ''Moonchild'' Co-writer/Producer Nicole Zefanya, Teddy Sinclair Bēkon"Grow" Josie Man ''Grow'' Josie Man, Hannah Yadi, Josh Scarbrow -"99%" Gracey ''The Art of Closure'' Gracey, Al Shux Al Shux"Monster" Paloma Faith ''Infinite Things'' Paloma Faith, MNEK -"Hypnosis"2023Ive''I've Ive''Co-writerSeo Jeong-a, Gaeul, ReiRisc, Elof Loelv"Baddie"''I've Mine''Big Naughty, Perrie, Ryan S. JhunRyan S. Jhun, Risc, Alawn
Remixography  Year Artist Song Title Time 2009 Private "My Secret Lover" 4:01 2009 Elviin "In Colour" 4:44 2009 Bombay Bicycle Club "Always Like This" 4:06 2009 Frankmusik "3 Little Words" (Starsmith Remix) 3:29 2009 Marina and the Diamonds "I Am Not a Robot" (Starsmith 24 Carat Remix) 5:18 2009 Little Boots "New in Town" (Starsmith Remix) 5:30 2009 The Twang "Barney Rubble" (Starsmith Remix) 5:24 2009 Girls Can't Catch "Keep Your Head Up" (Starsmith Club Mix) 5:18 2009 The Mission District "So Over You" (Starsmith Remix) 3:29 2009 Team WaterPolo "Letting Go" (Starsmith Remix) 4:29 2009 Frankmusik "Better Off as Two" (Starsmith Holiday in the Heath Remix) 4:29 2009 Passion Pit "Sleepyhead" (Starsmith Remix feat. Ellie Goulding) 3:19 2009 Animal Kingdom "Signs and Wonders" (Starsmith Remix) 4:17 2009 Paloma Faith "New York" (Starsmith Remix) 3:36 2009 Lisa Mitchell "Coin Laundry" (Starsmith Remix) 4:49 2009 Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" (Starsmith Remix) 4:56 2010 Mika "Blame It on the Girls" (Not on the Starsmith Remix) 6:17 2010 Timbaland featuring Katy Perry "If We Ever Meet Again" (Starsmith Remix) 5:21 2010 N.E.R.D. "Hot-n-Fun" (Starsmith Club Remix) 5:35 2010 Beyoncé "Why Don't You Love Me" (Starsmith Remix – Radio Edit) 3:34 2010 Robyn "Hang with Me" (Starsmith Remix) 6:04 2011 Gypsy & the Cat "Jona Vark" (Starsmith Remix) 4:58 2011 Lady Gaga "Born This Way" (Starsmith Remix) 6:45 2011 Marina and the Diamonds "Radioactive" (Starsmith Rework) 4:37 2012 St. Lucia "We Got It Wrong" (Starsmith Remix) 6:03 2013 Ed Drewett "Drunk Dial" (Starsmith Remix) 5:37 2013 Matthew Koma "Parachute" (Starsmith Remix) 5:18 2013 Hall & Oates "I Can't Go For That" (Starsmith Rework) 4:48 2013 Betty Who "Somebody Loves You" (Starsmith Remix) 6:24 2014 Joywave "Tongues" (Starsmith Remix) 4:39
References
External links * Starsmith at SoundCloud