Ryan Mitchell-Smith is a musician from Pontefract, United Kingdom. He grows up with blues and jazz, influenced by his father, the nationally acclaimed blues harmonica player Pete Mitchell-Smith.

Early life and education

He performs with his father’s band for the first time at the age of 12. After Pete Mitchell-Smith dies in 1998, Ryan Mitchell-Smith goes on to study at Derby University and gains a BA (Hons) in Popular Music and Music Technology, graduating with first-class honours.

Recording work

He sets up a home recording studio and produces his first album, Broken Bridge, a title that refers to his home town of Pontefract. His songs draw on several styles, including jazz, acid jazz, blues, garage, funk and pop.

Performance and collaborations

He plans to form his own band after moving to the Wakefield area, with material influenced by acts such as Dave Matthews and Blues Traveller. In the meantime, he appears as a harmonica player with the West Yorkshire blues outfit Dr Blue.