Kyle Smith believes that ‘passion is contagious’ ahead Of show at Electric Haze

Originally from Ventura, California, Kyle Smith has a way of bringing the styles of ska, punk, reggae and hip-hop together to create a cohesive sound. Whether he’s performing solo or with a backing band, his appealing and honest approach to music has a way of taking over a room with a positive vibe. Smith also has a relentless commitment to touring and he and his band are currently in the middle of their “Unmanageable Tour” that began way back during the middle of March. As part of the expedition, they’re going to be taking the stage at Electric Haze located on 26 Millbury St. in Worcester on May 11. Baltimore reggae rockers The Harbor Boys and Fall River ska punks Sweet Babylon are also on the bill with it all starting a little after 7 pm.

On April 19, Smith collaborated with the Annapolis, Maryland reggae punk phenoms Bumpin Uglies for the single “Passion Is Contagious.” Smith and his band have been touring with Bumpin Uglies as direct support for the past few years, so it was only a matter of time until they linked up for a recording.

“Me and Brandon (Hardesty), the singer of Bumpin Uglies, started following each other on social media years ago,” Smith says about how the song came about. “We’ve supported each other, they brought my band and I out on tour with them for the first time when they were on the West Coast back in 2019 and I feel like we’ve toured with them more than any other band since. We’ve been direct support for them so many times for the past four years, so it kind of came naturally with the both of us being in the same boat and all of us touring so hard. That’s kind of what the song is about.”

With the wide range of styles that come through his music, Smith views his approach as his way of creating something different than everybody else. At the same time, there are certain bands that he’s definitely influenced and inspired by.

“I think that being a songwriter or an artist is all about creating something new and something that nobody’s done before, which is ultimately the goal,” He describes his approach to music. “You don’t want to create something that sounds exactly like another artist and there’s a lot of bands that sort of carved their own path who have inspired me, like Sublime, Slightly Stoopid and other Cali reggae bands that include a little bit of everything. There’s a lot of hip hop, punk rock, funk and other stuff, so I guess the main catalyst would be the desire to create something new that doesn’t sound like anything else out there.”

Smith is very psyched to be headlining the upcoming gig at Electric Haze with his band. He also has a bunch of new music that he plans on releasing over the next few months before 2024 concludes.

“I’m really, really excited to play the show. We haven’t been up to Massachusetts in quite a long time, so it’ll be our first time back in a while. I think the last time we were there was in 2022, so I’m really, really excited to hit the Northeast and have our own show there, it’s going to be really cool. When I get home from this tour, I’m basically going to be releasing multiple singles and then a whole album by the end of the year. There’s going to be a bunch of new music coming out over the next seven months.

Kyle Smith with the Harbor Boys and Sweet Babylon

When: 7 p.m. May 11

Where: Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St. in Worcester

How much: $25 in advance, $30 at the door, visit thehaze.com

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Kyle Smith set to bring 'Unmanageable Tour' to Electric Haze