Jesse Smith, AKA Gentleman Jesse, has been a fixture of the Atlanta music scene for over fifteen years. Now, after taking an extended break from recording, the guitarist, singer, and songwriter has returned with “Lose Everything,” a new album steeped in wisdom and heartbreak accrued over a decade. Smith joined “City Lights” senior producer Kim Drobes via Zoom and shared stories from the production of the new record, along with insights gleaned during his long hiatus.
Though his last release carried the title “Leaving Atlanta,” don’t be deceived. “It was definitely a bluff,” said Smith. “ hunkered down pretty hard in the city, and that’s kind of why you haven’t heard from me in a little while, is that my attention was taken away by Kimball House, which is over in Decatur. That’s the restaurant we opened eight years ago,” said Smith.
The much-lauded restaurant remains a hit in its Decatur location, occupying the old train depot and refashioned to resemble the historic Atlanta Kimball House Hotel. It’s since been succeeded by more gustatory triumphs by Smith and his friends, including Watchman’s at Krog Market and an oyster farm on Florida’s Gulf coast. “A full plate, for sure,” Smith punned.
Smith’s new release “Lose Everything” contrasts this last decade’s fruitful digression from music with heavier themes. “Ultimately, the title of the album came from a house on the street that I live in, in the Edgewood neighborhood, [that] burned down, completely to the ground.” The incident spurred the reactivated songwriter’s reflection. “This idea of complete loss of everything that you’ve built for a lifetime being taken away in one day kind of stuck to me,” said Smith, “And so I decided to center the record around the idea of loss in its different forms.”
Through the tracks on “Lose Everything,” Gentleman Jesse explores the loss of several musical heroes over recent years, like Lou Reed and Motorhead’s “Lemmy” Kilmister, the loss of control in the face of mounting challenges, and the fickle fortunes of relationships and life in capitalism. In a rare musical offering driven by Smith as a solo artist, rather than his usual band collaboration of Gentleman Jesse and His Men, the songwriter exposes a more shadowy side.
