Calhoun County, AL – Music is such an essential part of life, not only does it help when you’re sad, it helps when you’re happy too. Getting lost in the lyrics has been such a huge part of my life since I was first introduced to it. I grew up listening to Alanis Morrisette, The Eagles, Coolio, Eminem, Lila McCain, and of course The Backstreet Boys. Music has the power to evoke emotions, inspire change, and bring folks together. While life isn’t always sunshine and roses, drifting away to a song is pretty much equal to that. While there are so many different established artists out there, the importance of upcoming artists cannot be overstated.
I’ve had the pleasure to speak to an upcoming artist and get a feel of not just the struggles, but the blessings. I started listening to this man only because I didn’t like his wife at the time. However, she and I are friends now, and chat almost daily. Sometimes I want to thank her for being an enemy, only because if she wasn’t I would’ve never stumbled upon this artist. Initially, I planned to make this blog about various upcoming artists and feature the one I’m about to tell yall about, however, the pictures he sent and the responses to the interview questions were amazing and I just can’t have the spotlight on anyone else.
I believe that upcoming musical artists are vital to the industry, solely because they bring a new perspective and sound to the table. They offer a unique taste that’s exciting to new listeners. Additionally, they have a lot to say and can use their platform to help create change. While I know a lot of folks don’t enjoy change, if this man that I swear I’m about to introduce, has any impact on changing this world it will be for the greater good, and I feel confident saying that. Drum roll anyone?…..
Patrick Smith Music has something different to offer all of us, musically and lyrically. His voice is something different than what I’ve heard in a really long time. I believe he wants to fit into the country genre, but if you listen to his voice he has the rare opportunity to strive in almost any genre he would want to. One of my favorite things about him as an artist, he’s not fake to his fans. A lot of folks who go into these types of industries try to stay on top of all the woke bullshit. Patrick does not. He remains himself and continues to strive doing so. The absolute fact that he has not blown up yet, blows my mind.
When I asked Patrick what inspired him to pursue a music career he said, “I would watch my mom play piano at church when I was young.” The sole fact that his mother is his inspiration, should be more than enough for yall to go give this young man a listen. He is someone who will be able to carry on a legacy and help shape the direction of music.
Getting to know Patrick a little more as a singer, I fell more in love with his musical journey. I asked him how he handled criticism because I know that’s something that comes along with his line of work. He replied, “I handle criticism like a child most of the time, but sometimes I’m able to swallow my pride and use it.” The answer doesn’t get more raw and honest as that yall. I’ve noticed that being truthful in this kind of business is unheard of. I can almost guarantee if I were to ask any other upcoming musician how they handle criticism they would’ve answered along the lines of, “I handle it like a champ“. Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.
I know Patrick is a hard worker, I can see it on all his social media and his wife’s socials, too. Watching their videos, looking at their pictures, and reading their posts, I can tell his wife, Macey, and their four sons are over the moon proud of this man. I honestly never got around to asking him what he does for a living, but I can tell by his hands in his pictures, he works hard. I know he jokes all the time about his wife going to be his sugar mama, but I think he will make it with his talent and get that house on the river with tons of acreage, and a top-of-the-line bass boat sitting in the driveway, then they can be each other’s sugar babies.
While asking him what’s something he’d like his fans to know about him that they might not know already he said, “I want them to know how much I appreciate them! It’s amazing seeing people from my hometown drive 3-4 hours away, to support me and spend their hard-earned money. I’ll forever be grateful for that.” While a lot of you reading this are probably thinking, ‘They’re supposed to go out of their way to support you’, you’re wrong. I’m not even just referring to that type of work either. No one has to support you, and no one has to be there for you, but you do find out who’s loyal to you in the process.
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Asking Patrick who his biggest musical influences are he replied with, “Keith Whitley, Koe Wetzel, and Dalton Dover.” Dalton Dover is actually Patrick’s best friend, how amazing is that??
If you are wondering, as I was, what Patrick’s creative process is like, this is what he had to say: “When I sit down and try to write music, it’s a form of absolute procrastination. Most of the time, it just comes to me when I’m fishing.” As a fisherman myself, I can see how it comes to him while he’s on the water. Now yall see what I was saying about him going to have a bass boat in his driveway? He used to fish in tournaments all over the country until he started back playing music. I had to ask him what his personal best was, and I ended up hurting my own feelings. 13.6 lbs and 10.3 lbs are his PBs. I’m not even going to put in here what I responded with, because I’m a poor sport and it definitely wasn’t a “congratulations”.
As I know there are hundreds of thousands of people wanting to get into the music industry, I wanted to ask him what his advice would be for someone just starting in this industry. Patrick said, “Don’t get discouraged. You’ll have more venues tell you they aren’t interested in you, than you will have that books you. Don’t expect everyone to come out and support you because not everyone will.” I think that being new to anything will be a challenge in itself. Absolutely anything you start up, will take time and take a lot of hard work.
Patrick said his favorite song that he has written is called That Girl. He said, “Since Macey and I have been together she’s wanted me to write her a song, and this song just randomly came together one night at work.” Come on ladies, we have ALL wanted our significant other to do this for us, most of us it probably was never done either. We had no idea we just needed a Patrick in our lives.
Macey if you’re reading this, I think I speak for all the women out there when I say we’re jealous.
While That Girl is his favorite song he wrote, it’s not his favorite to perform. Don’t get yalls chonies in a bunch by that either, he has good reasoning for it. When I asked which one is his favorite to perform he stated, “My favorite song to perform is definitely Miami My Amy, a Keith Whitley song. It was a song my grandmother always wanted to hear me sing, and was actually the last song she listened to before she passed.” Excuse me while I go listen to him sing it while bawling my eyes out…
If anyone reading this is in or around Georgia, while you’re grabbing your peaches make sure you check out Broadway Saloon in Columbus, GA. Chances are great that you’ll run into Patrick Smith there, as it is his favorite place to perform. “My favorite place to perform is definitely Broadway Saloon in Columbus, GA. It’s a venue where everyone wants to hear live music and the owner is a really good friend of mine.“, said Patrick. I did a little digging on this favorite venue of his and I found out that it was first established in 1933. The building was once the Beaverton Jail. Their website states during their renovation in ’93, they kept the jailhouse bars on the windows, not to keep folks from getting out, but rather to keep them from breaking in. I honestly can say I would’ve kept them, too. Not only would it help protect your business, but it also would keep a piece of history in it.
“The biggest thing I hope people get out of my music is a form of therapy or to be able to escape reality for the 3-4 minutes that the song plays.“, Patrick said when asked what he hopes people will take away from his music. As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, that’s exactly what made me fall in love with music, to begin with, the ability to escape reality. I was really pleased to hear this answer.
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Make sure you are broadening your musical horizons, yall. You never know what you may or may not like, you also don’t know the challenges these folks face while trying to get their voices out there. Not only are they being criticized to the max in the public eye, but they are also trying to juggle their lives along with their careers. What Patrick had to say about the biggest challenges he faces is, “Learning ways to balance family, work, and music without neglecting the family time.” People don’t take into consideration that a lot of work goes into this. It’s not something you start one day and you’re famous the next. I’m not at all comparing Patrick to Luke Bryan, because that would be a slap in the face for Patrick, but stars like Luke, also have a hard time juggling their careers with spending time with their family. You are not alone Patrick.
While we found out what his favorite song he wrote, his favorite song to perform, and his favorite venue to perform at, we haven’t covered Patrick’s favorite performance. When asked he replied, “My favorite performance so far was an acoustic show on the river that my grandparents were able to come to, while they were still able to get around easily.” As yall read, he did say ‘so far’, but I don’t think even when he is called to play at the Grand Ol Opry that will top the performance his grandparents were able to attend. I’m sure he’s aware of that, too.
Unlike Miranda Lambert, Patrick cares about his fans. I asked him what he feels is the most important aspect of having a successful music career he said, “Definitely staying humble, and always understanding without fans you’re nothing, so treat them like family.” That response right there should be enough to sway all them Lambert fans into becoming Smith fans. He also told us what he hopes is next in his music career, “Next thing in my music career is hopefully getting this ep out that I have been working on, and actually take a step closer in making a career in music.” I think I can yet again speak for everyone when I say, it’s going to be a career for him and we will be rooting for you every step of the way.
Patrick told me that during his free time, he loves to take his boys fishin’ and find new adventures for him and his wife to go on. So that led me to ask him if his boys wanted to pursue music as a career, what would his advice to them be, “Find a group of guys you enjoy being around and write, write, write. Even if it’s garbage, keep writing. Developing that craft early on would be very helpful.“, he said. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see him playing alongside one or all of his children down the road? However, I think those youngsters are going to make it in the MLB. I’ve watched some videos he and his wife posted and boy ol boy, do they have a handful of athletes to raise.
When I asked him what his absolute favorite part about being a musician is, he simply replied, “Being able to pull someone away from their reality during my performance, and give them a moment of peace from the outside world and make all their troubles disappear.” You can tell just by the way he answers these questions, his fans mean a lot to him and he’s not going to take them for granted. I also asked him what the biggest misconception is about being a musician and he said, “It’s definitely not this big raging party nonstop like you saw Motley Crew have, and it’s not always fun.” I can get behind it’s not this big party, but I can’t get behind it’s not always fun, and that’s probably because I’m not a musician. I am simply just saying, if I had a voice like Patrick’s I would be putting on a concert for all my animals every single night with a disco ball going. So let’s just take a minute to thank the Heavens, I cannot sing.
Patrick’s favorite thing about his fans is, “The real die-hard ones know what I drink and request Keith Whitley covers nonstop because they know they’re my favorite.” I should’ve asked him what his favorite drink is so if any of us happen to catch one of his shows, we could show him some love and give him a little liquid courage, even though we know he doesn’t need it.
Upcoming music artists are especially important not only to the industry itself, but to us as listeners. They represent the future of music and will have an impact on generations to come. By supporting climbing artists like Patrick Smith Music, you are investing in the future of music that not only your children will listen to, but your grandchildren as well. Make sure all of you reading this are supporting your local musicians. You’re not only going to spread awareness about the artist but you’ll also be helping the band itself survive while they’re trying to spread their wings.
Thank you Patrick for allowing me to pick your brain and bother you for a few days. I learned a lot about not just you as a musician, but also as a human being. Keep up the amazing work, you are full of talent.
Patrick Smith Music social media platforms:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricksmithmusic34
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@patricksmithmusic
Heather Zayas is an independent writer who enjoys sharing perspective on artists and aspects of life on her site Homebody Hideout.
