Making a name for himself

He might have a common name but John Smith doesn’t need an alias to make himself stand out from the masses, writes Nadine O’Regan

John Smith: ‘It’s refreshing to step into someone else’s world’ Pic: Phil Fisk

John Smith is talking through his sniffles.

“My little ‘un has got the flu,” he says. “Which means that me and my wife have got the flu and everything’s upside. She’s 14 months old, right at the stage where she gets sick and everyone gets sick.”

Smith might feel unwell, but he doesn’t sound in bad form. Small wonder: the Devon-raised guitarist, aged 35, is in a good phase of his life right ...