Anana Kaye – ‘American Smile’

We’ve covered Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel before, and now the eclectic duo are back, with their lateest single, ‘American Smile’. Co-written by Scottish-American songwriter Freddie Stevenson, it tells the story of a man on a journey in search of the ‘American Smile’, and is a glorious layering of delicate guitars, smooth percussion, and ethereal piano and vocals.

Speaking about the track, Irakli says,

“Some years ago I was sharing an apartment in New York with my friend, a brilliant songwriter Freddie Stevenson. We were playing in a band together at the time and in the process ended up writing a bunch of songs. One eve after a few beers, Freddie said, ‘I’ve got this title, “American Smile.”‘ It struck a chord with me immediately, I knew we had to write it, so I grabbed a bass and started playing a progression and humming a tune. Freddie did not waste any time either, and we had opening verse and the song structure right away. The wordsmith he is, Freddie contributed most of the lyrics, which spoke to me right away and made sense on every level.”

‘American Smile’ harks back to an earlier time, back to the early 20th century, a time when the American Dream was reality. Self-directed and edited, the track features paintings by Esartia, a Georgian artist who now lives in the USA, which have been custom designed to follow the songs lyrics. We see fingers typing on a typewriter, while Anana tells the tale of a man setting out on a journey, and his troubles. He tears up the footpaths, cuts down the trees, kicks down all the doors for which he has no keys, and asks everyone he encounters if they’ve seen the ‘American Smile’. The world changes around him, and his frustration increases, as he realises the American Smile is gone. Time becomes his teacher however, and he feels remorse: the man returns to the places he damaged, and repairs everything. He then dreams of the American Smile and realises that he actually has it within himself.

‘American Smile’ captures the essence of what the United States should be. Rather than glorifying the country’s magnificent past, the US should rather rekindle the essence of the American Smile, by planting seeds of individual kindness, and thereby achieving greatness in peace, and love.

‘American Smile’ is available on Apple Music and Spotify. You can find Anana Kaye online on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Soundcloud, and their official website.