Maria Jane Smith has always been a storyteller. Initially an aspiring author, she turned to songwriting after learning the guitar at an early age. As a teenager, she formed the folk-pop duo Smith & Thell with Victor Thell. Their 2017 debut "Soulprints" achieved gold status, and hits like "Forgive Me Friend" and "Hotel Walls" topped Swedish pop radio with over 100 million streams. In 2020, Smith & Thell won the Swedish Grammis for Songwriter of the Year. Despite the band's success, Smith longed for independence and in 2023, penned her debut solo album "A Glitch in the Matrix," blending acoustic and electronic sounds inspired by Portishead, Massive Attack, Ani DiFranco, and Alanis Morissette. The album is due out in spring of 2025, and reflects her search for freedom and personal expression, marking an exciting new chapter in her career.