J. Smith (song)
"J. Smith" is the first single from Indie band Travis' sixth studio album Ode to J. Smith, released as a limited-edition E.P. on both 10" vinyl and as a download, with only 1,000 copies made of the 10-inch. The song reached #1 on the UK Indie Chart on 6 July 2008, mainly due to strong downloads.
Background
Although the songs from Ode to J. Smith were previewed in a series of live shows in February 2008, the studio recordings were not intended to be heard until the official release. However, KCRW, an American radio station, got hold of an illegal copy of J. Smith, and played it on air several times, and subsequently, mp3 files of the song were made and distributed, which Fran Healy contested to on the official forum. The physical single release was not intended for announcement until late June, however, online retailer Recordstore announced the item for sale on 5 June, meaning that despite an official announcement being made, fans would now know what the first single was going to be. The information was discussed on the band's official forum within hours. Healy posted on the forum that evening, claiming that the band had not intended Recordstore to announce the information, and that the original plan was to gradually release the information to increase excitement.