Evan Smith played saxophones, flute, electric guitar, and keyboards on Taylor Swift’s “august.”
Smith’s multi-instrumental contribution helps explain the song’s layered, atmospheric sound. “August” is built from dream-pop, guitar-pop, and soft-rock elements, with strings and keyboards adding to its hazy late-summer atmosphere. The instrumental arrangement is much broader than a simple singer-songwriter recording.
The song was written by Swift and Jack Antonoff. Antonoff created the instrumental first and sent it to Swift, who wrote the lyrics in response. Smith’s credited parts sit alongside Antonoff’s guitars, drums, percussion, and programming, while Bobby Hawk supplied strings.
A common mix-up is to attribute every instrumental sound to Antonoff because he was the main producer. However, the official personnel credits separate the musicians’ roles. Smith is specifically credited with four different instrumental duties, making him one of the track’s most versatile contributors.