Waiting for Smith: The Artful Odyssey of Harry Lloyd’s Music and Meaning

Words: Ali Hassan

Photography: Tobias Tiedeman

Harry Lloyd - the voice behind Waiting For Smith - has lived a life full of twists, turns and more than a few unexpected chapters.

It’s been a journey marked by soaring highs and difficult lows, all of which have shaped not just his music, but his purpose: to create and share in the pursuit of happiness. (Similarly, why not uncover the journey of another brilliant emerging artist Sharifa, here).

From Adventure to Artistry: Harry Lloyd’s Unconventional Path

Even before his debut in 2019, Harry’s story was already rich with adventure. His path to music wasn’t linear - but that’s what makes it so compelling.

As Harry tells it, life before music was anything but ordinary. He spent two months riding a motorbike across Cuba, picking up the maracas along the way.

Then came Paris, where he taught himself French, followed by a stint in the Alps that saw him qualify as a ski instructor.

Not one to sit still, he began learning Russian soon after. But just as the momentum was building, life took an unexpected turn.

Life-Changing Moments that Shaped Waiting for Smith

It was in the Alps that everything changed. A devastating accident left Harry with a broken back - and, for five minutes, no pulse. He died, and then came back to life.

It wasn’t part of the plan, but it marked the beginning of a very different chapter.

As he recovered, a sense of clarity began to take shape. Music, once a distant idea, now felt like something essential.

“After my accident in the French Alps, I re-awoke to the idea that I should pursue music,” Harry explains. “It became a way to positively reprogram the mind into a lighter, freer, and more joyful state of existence”.

What started as a personal pursuit soon evolved into something broader: a mission to spread joy, one song at a time.

Battling Mental Health and Finding Clarity Through Music

But the road wasn’t entirely smooth. Harry faced deep struggles with his mental health, including moments where life itself felt overwhelmingly heavy. True to form, he kept moving - this time to Amsterdam. Immersing himself in a new city and, naturally, learning Dutch, he slowly began to untangle the knots within.

That journey continued to South Africa, where four months of sun, space, and reflection brought a renewed sense of clarity.

He returned with a lightness he hadn’t felt in years - refreshed, reconnected, and ready to channel that joy into his music. Not just for himself, but for others too.

Music, for Harry, became a way to pass that feeling on - to help people feel lighter, freer, and seen.

Global Reach: How Waiting for Smith Captivates Audiences Worldwide

Since introducing himself to the world as Waiting for Smith in 2019, Harry has quietly built a global following - his music amassing millions of streams and resonating with listeners far beyond his Netherlands base.

BBC Radio 1, Radio 2, and KISS FM in Germany, alongside major platforms like the Japanese Grand Prix and Netflix’s Vis a Vis, have all featured his music.

His work has also earned him sold-out headline tours across Europe and high-profile support slots with artists such as James McVey and Xavier Rudd.

‘I Like Life’: The Optimistic New Single and Upcoming EP

Fast forward to the present day, and his latest release, I Like Life, serves as a preview to his upcoming EP. This new body of work signals a fresh wave of positivity, both in its message and the artist’s evolving journey. The single delves into the simplicity and depth of a question that resonates with us all: Do you like life?

As Harry puts it, “It’s a question we all encounter, yet its simplicity makes it profoundly impactful”. With this track, Waiting for Smith invites us to see life through a different lens - a kaleidoscope of love and optimism.

It’s a gentle nudge to embrace the good, reaffirming his ongoing mission to make music that uplifts and inspires.

With a grounded outlook and a quietly growing global footprint, Waiting for Smith is proving that music, when driven by intent rather than ego, can offer something genuinely lasting. His forthcoming EP is a continuation of a dialogue, one rooted in clarity, resilience, and emotional fluency.

As his sound matures and his audience expands, Harry Lloyd’s journey feels less like a traditional trajectory and more like an unfolding philosophy - measured, melodic, and meaningfully offbeat.