Yellowknife (July 14/06) - Fifteen years is a long time in music. Long enough for grunge to rise and fall into oblivion. Long enough for hip hop to step out of the underground to top the charts.

And it was long enough for Yellowknife musician, educator, one-time Recording Artists Association of the NWT president and jam wrangler Steve Smith to write, record and release his first CD, "Beaches to Barrens," which he will promote at Folk on the Rocks (FOTR) this year.

"My whole life, I've wanted to do something like this," he said. "For me this is a dream come true."

"Life got in the way a lot," Smith said of the years since 1991, when he first came to the North. "Life" in this case included starting a family, working as a teacher and getting hip-deep in Yellowknife's music scene.

The 12-track CD chronicles Smith's journey from Nova Scotia, his home province, to Yellowknife, both in style and in tone.

The music ranges from celtic folk to rockabilly, from modern rock to country, while the album takes the listener through the personal and the historical; from tales of lonely voyageurs and Maritime characters, to an account of Smith's first day in Yellowknife, called "Frozen Town."

"Step down onto the tarmac, wind bites my face/Nothin' but my backpack; what the hell am I doin' in this place?" the lyrics read.

"Yellowknife," meanwhile, celebrates the North and the "bounty of this land."

The CD was recorded primarily at Spiritwalker Studios, with the production and drumming talents of Norm Glowach and more than 20 other musicians from Yellowknife and beyond. These include Chic Callas, Pat Braden, and "the Stevedores," the combination of Smith, Steve Lacey and Steve Pretty, who contribute vocal harmonies to the album.

"(Glowach) was just phenomenal to work with as a producer, he had a great vision for this," Smith said. "He's helped so many artists over the years."

This year, Smith is excited for the chance to test out his work onstage at FOTR - and maybe sell a CD or two.

"Folk on the Rocks is an amazing place for Northern and southern artists to get together, share stories and collaborate," he said.

Right now, Smith's number one priority is getting the word (and copies of the CD) out to local outlets, such as CD Plus and the Gallery of the Midnight Sun.

After the interview, Smith was seen driving down Franklin, brandishing a fistful of CDs.

"Hey Adam!" he yelled, "I'm delivering!"

Steve Smith and Hindsite will perform at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday's FOTR beer garden stage, and at 4 p.m. on Sunday's main stage. Smith will also perform on Saturday's children's stage at 1 p.m.