The musician will kick off their To Be Free residency at New York City’s Warsaw this month
Sam Smith appeared on The Late Show to showcase two songs, a cover Bill Withers 1971 classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine” and their own single “To Be Free.” Smith performed his rendition of “Ain’t No Sunshine” with the help of two guitarists, giving the iconic song a stripped down approach.
For the emotional “To Be Free,” which Smith dropped over the summer, Smith was joined by a sole musician on stage and illuminated from behind. A chorus of backup singers then brought in their voices to accompany them.
Smith released “To Be Free” in July after temporarily shelving the song, written during the making of their fourth studio album, Gloria. Smith didn’t believe it was a fit for the record, but wanted to share it with fans later. It features TwoCity Chorus, a 22-piece choir helmed by Ant Clemons and Brandon Pain.
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“It was created during a time in my life where I became free within myself,” Smith said in a statement. “I’ve never had a recording experience like I did making this song. It’s one vocal and guitar take from start to finish—one live performance of me and my friend Simon Aldred in a pure state of music and expression.”
The music video for “To Be Free” was filmed at Warsaw, one of Brooklyn’s oldest venues. In October, Smith will spend 12 nights performing in the same space for the To Be Free: New York City residency. The run of live shows kicks off on Oct. 8 and extends through Oct. 31. Smith will then take the residency to the Castro Theatre in San Francisco for a run of eight shows next February.
