As we kick off the New Year, we are putting more incredible artists on your radar. This week, we are shining our spotlight on the very talented singer-songwriter, Kevin Smiley. We chatted with the artist about his path to music, his latest project, and everything in between.

Smiley grew in Okeechobee, Florida, a small, cattle-town, where music was a constant in his life. “I have five older siblings, and we were all homeschooled by my mother, and my dad was a pastor,” began the singer. “We were always around music, and we were in a band 90% of the time. I started the drums when I was seven years old, and then guitar and base around eleven. I was always playing. I would go to different churches and play weddings, funerals, whatever the event, I was always playing with my siblings.”

Smiley does not recall a time where music wasn’t a part of his life. For him, country music became the soundtrack to his upbringing because of his best friend’s parents. “My best friend growing up, his parents were ranchers, so they were always playing country music. I was around it a good bit, so when I decided to finally take singing seriously, country music was the only genre that made sense. It was what I’ve been around my whole life.” Artists like Brooks & Dunn, Jon Pardi, and Alan Jackson were some of his favorites growing up.

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating high school, Smiley started working in appliance maintenance and delivery, but music was still the thing that he felt the most drawn to. “Music has always been in my life, it’s always been something that I’ve been passionate about. I’ve seen other people do it, and I’ve heard all other stories of people making it off of social media, so I just wanted to go for it.”

Smiley kept positing on TikTok, all while gaining a fanbase. At around the same time, a pop producer reached out, and encouraged him to start writing his own music. He quickly took the advice, which led to even more growth. “I got discovered by a production company, right after I had written my song, “Paralyzed,” which right now is my biggest song. I showed that to them and immediately they sent a contract offer. I flew in and recorded that song, and posted it on social media to see what it would do, and it kind of blew up a little bit.”

Smiley met with just about every label, eventually landing and signing a deal with Rebel Music/Gamma. Upon signing, the singer got to work writing and recording what would eventually become his debut project. “I love writing so much. I always tell my manager, “when can we go back in, when can we get more sessions in,” and even when I’m home, I like to write by myself, and a couple of those songs ended up on this project,” shared the singer.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Smiley is living the dream. Back in November, the singer-songwriter released his debut EP, Hurts Worse featuring eight songs, including a killer collaboration with YoungBoy Never Broke Again called “Matador.”

“That’s one of the songs that I had written my part by myself, and then I had a few sessions with a producer,” began the singer. “After we finished the song, we thought it could use something else, especially with the production, and thought it could use a rapper. We thought of realistic options, and we knew one of my close people on my team had a great relationship with NBA Youngboy, so we sent it over, and he decided he would hop on it.”

As for the rest of the project, it was important to Smiley that the project was cohesive, while still remaining true to his love of music both in and outside the genre.

“I don’t want to get stagnant. I recognize when a lot of artists do one kind of style in the beginning, they kind of get stuck there, and their fans don’t really want to hear anything else from them. With this first project, I wanted to make sure that people understand that I enjoy all the sub genres of country, even outside of country, and that’s what you’re going to get from me. You’re not going to get one thing.”

He went on to share that the theme of the record as a whole was heartbreak, a feeling that almost anyone can relate to. “What I really wanted to do with this project was kind of make it a streamlined story, so one to seven are really just one story, different sections you could say. Starting with “Heart To Break,” it’s almost like the beginning of the fall of the relationship, and not really knowing what’s going to happen, and then all the way down to “Hurts Worse,” the person completely left. At the same time, all of these songs, I wanted to have that emotion of heartbreak in there, it’s something that a lot of people can see themselves in even if it’s not a relationship, it could be friendships breaking up, siblings going their separate ways, moving further away from parents. You can see yourself in these songs.”

As Kevin Smiley continues to carve his own path in the country music world, his debut EP Hurts Worse serves as a testament to his authenticity, versatility, and commitment to telling stories that resonate with us all. With his unique blend of influences and raw emotion, Smiley is undoubtedly an artist to watch in 2025 and beyond. Keep an eye on this rising star as he continues to turn life’s heartaches into songs that speak to the soul.

Connect:

To keep up with Kevin Smiley, follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Kevin Smiley’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.