Audrey Smith is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer working in distinct but related musical worlds. A native of the North Carolina Piedmont, she began her musical journey at a young age, with an early beginning as a classical pianist mixed with the roots and folk music of her home state. As a student at the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, she opened her world of sound while in the Jazz Studies program, following an itch to get away from the written page and while looking for an outlet for expanding her songwriting. While in Greensboro, Smith fell in love with the sound of swing, immersing herself in the music of great piano improvisers such as Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelley, Red Garland, Keith Jarrett, and Mary Lou Williams. Following the music, she moved to New Orleans after completing her undergraduate program, where she additionally studied at the University of New Orleans with mentors Victor Atkins III, Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson, Brian Seeger, and Oscar Rossignoli. 

Notably, Audrey has performed at the piano as a leader and side person at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Parks, the Baton Rouge Blues Festival, the Marigny Opera House, with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and at other small venues across the southeast. Her music and repertoire selection are influenced by the desire to keep inching the works of female and non-binary artists to the forefront, with a current focus on reviving the compositions of Marian McPartland, as well as lesser-known compositions and arrangements for the piano trio by Mary Lou Wiliams. Frequently collaborating with bassist Robin Sherman and drummer Ronan Cowan, Audrey enjoys the freedom that the piano trio allows, writing original music for her group as she continues to develop a sound that honors the traditions of bop, post-bop, and beyond. 

Behind the guitar, she presents songs and stories that honor the simple wisdom and humor of traditional country and folk music, with lyrics nodding to our shared experiences in love, joy, and grief. Frequently compared to the likes of Gillian Welch and Mary Gauthier, her unique sound dances between the lines of bluegrass and radio country, while being influenced heavily by North Carolina icons Doc Watson, Etta Baker, and countless others. Audrey can be found playing across the Southeast US as a solo artist, with a full band, or her favorite - as a duo with her sister.