New Smith/Kotzen Single Nearly Missed the Cut -Now It Defines The Upcoming Album

Smith/Kotzen have released their second single, Black Light, from their upcoming album, but the song itself was never meant to make the cut and was almost left behind.

Some songs are destined to be released even though you don’t feel that way in the first place.That’s exactly what happened with Black Light, the brand-new single from Smith/Kotzen. Late into the night, in a session that could have gone unnoticed, the duo struck gold. What was once nearly left behind has now become the second single from their sophomore album and even lent its name to the title: Black Light / White Noise.

Released alongside a stunning, multi-layered video, Black Light features Smith and Kotzen performing with bassist Julia Lage and drummer Bruno Valverde. The video, directed by The Ragsdale Brothers (Daughtry, Dorothy feat. Slash, Theory of a Dead Man), also stars Russian acrobat and former Cirque de Soleil performer Gyulnara Karaeva. The visuals take the song’s themes of deceit and hidden truths and bring them to life with UV lighting effects that echo the album’s striking cover art.

“It was a fun video to make,” says Kotzen. “Adding the UV performance section was fantastic and took us back to the album shoot that we did in London last year.”

The album, recorded at The House in Los Angeles, is a perfect showcase of Smith and Kotzen’s combined talents as musicians, songwriters, and vocalists. Produced by the duo and mixed by Jay Ruston, it delivers ten tracks of masterful modern rock, blending hard rock, blues, and soul.

“We had a lot of fun making this,” Smith reflects. “We’d be writing, and I’d want something inspired by my old hard rock or blues go-to bands. Then, it would go into a more progressive feel—and Richie has these strong soul influences, so there’s a lot to dig into there.”

Kotzen adds, “Smith/Kotzen is all about finding common ground. Maybe Adrian will tend to go heavy, and then I’ll lean more into the fusion or funk or soul side of things, but somewhere in the middle is our sound: that heavy blues rock vibe that we really connect on.”

As anticipation builds for the April 4th release of Black Light / White Noise on BMG, Smith and Kotzen will make a special appearance at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles on March 5th. Hosted by Chris Jericho, the event will feature a Q&A session followed by an intimate acoustic performance.

From a song that almost didn’t make the cut to a defining piece of the album’s identity, Black Light proves that sometimes, the best moments come from the most unexpected places. And we even did a reaction video to it, so you better check this one out!

You can ore-order the album here.

Black Light/White Noise track-listing

Muddy Water
White Noise
Black Light
Darkside
Life Unchained
Blindsided
Wraith
Heavy Weather
Outlaw
Beyond The Pale