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Canadian songwriter and producer Jeremy Haywood-Smith needed an escape from his state of mourning when he began working on Slightshot, his most recent LP as JayWood, the recording project he started in 2015. After the loss of his mother in 2019 and a global standstill with multiple social crises throughout 2020, Haywood-Smith yearned for some forward momentum. InchThe idea of looking back to go forward became a really big thing for me-hence the title, Slingshot.Inch Haywood-Smith explains. Feeling disconnected from his past and ancestry after the death of a parent, Haywood-Smith made a conscious effort to better understand his identity and unique Black experience living in the predominantly white province of Manitoba. Through a year of self reflection and reconnection with his roots, Haywood-Smith has made the biggest leap forward for his project JayWood by simply looking back. Merging fantasy scenarios, personal anecdotes, and infectious pop and dance instrumentals, Slingshot is a self-portrait of JayWood at his surface and his depths. Haywood-Smith was born and raised in the Canadian prairies, spending most of his life in the city of Winnipeg. Since 2015 JayWood has captured the young writer's journey of self discovery and heartache through unique songwriting and an ever-evolving sound. Haywood-Smith taught himself how to write and record during the primitive days of the project, but has developed through challenging himself to never fear change. Haywood-Smith's soulful voice and dynamic production style shines through his 2021 , Some Days-a polished reworking of his 2015 EP of the same name. Despite the culturally homogenous nature of his hometown, Haywood-Smith takes inspiration from a wide range of Black performers and artists working in all genres and eras. Visionary artists like Kendrick Lamar inspired Haywood-Smith's approach to storytelling and world-buildin
