WOOOAahhH!! Hold your horses, this cowboy’s the real deal, guys and gals. We had the exciting chance to speak exclusively with Nashville TV star Riley Smith. Now, Riley Smith’s not your everyday country star… Don’t let his handsome good clean look fool you ladies, his boots have been real dirty ’round his family’s farm. Growing up on one of the largest quarter horse farms in America, Riley learned the importance of dedication and hard work at a young age.
ES: Riley, great to meet you… We hear you have quite the equine background. Tell us a little bit about that.
RS: Not only am I doing Americana / country music, but my background involves being an equestrian and horses. I grew up on a quarter horse ranch in Marion, Iowa. My father is a pretty prominent owner, trainer, breeder, and judge. He’s judged quarter horse congress 10 or more times… I was greatly involved in the American Quarter Horse Association growing up and being “the trainer’s son”. I was always very fortunate because my Dad always got me great horses to show. But, at the same time I was the trainer’s son. So, it’s not always as glamorous as it sounds. I always tell people, my dad’s kind of the Tiger Woods in the horse business. When you grow up in that environment, its’ a lifestyle, not even a choice.
ES: That’s fantastic. Tell us a little more about your American Quarter Horse Association Involvement and your childhood
RS: After awhile I got really interested in the political side of it. I had a friend that was the Vice President, and I looked up to him. There’s a lot of cool responsibility that you get in being an officer. I ran when I was 16 years old for President, but I ended up becoming Vice President. Then, the next year when I was 17, I ran for president, and I got it. At the time, I was the youngest president elected for the American Quarter Horse Youth Association. We traveled all over the world representing the American Quarter Horse Association. ended up going to all different kinds of events from Dressage, national 4-h or FFA conventions, Youth Rodeo finals, or showjumping and even quarter horse racing events. It was a just a blast. I still credit that time of my life to helping mold where I am now. If I had not been that involved in the horse world from a young age, I would be a completely different person as an adult.
ES: So, what has been your primary source of inspiration for your music?
RS: Well, i’ve always been into music, and it’s always been a part of me. My parents tell me I was the kid putting on concerts for the family ever since I was born. I did musicals in high school, I’ve always loved music. I would sit around and write music in my house non-stop. I formed a band in 2006 that we called the Life of Riley, where it was just three of my best friends. We were playing great bars in LA and then we even did some tours in Europe, and we opened up for Jordan Sparks, American idol winner. But, I also have a heart in Acting. I always knew I wanted to do a solo record, but I never got serious about it until I got the opportunity in acting to do the tv series Nashville. Quite like my character, I was this city kid who moved to Nashville to write music.
ES: Wow, so while you were acting you were also writing music?
RS: So, I got the opportunity to do this tv show, Nashville. They added a big character for season 5 in 2015, and so I got the part of this rockstar who Tony Britain’s character Rayna James, who talks him into doing this crossover country album, and she talks him into moving to Nashville. Quite like my character, I was this LA kid who moved to Nashville for 7 months. While I was down there, I was meeting some of these writers. Guys who had written some of my favorite songs EVER. I was getting writing sessions set up with them. Literally through my role, it inspired me and I was able to meet so many amazing people and was able to get co-writes set up.
ES: So, tell me about your co-writing experience…
RS: I really feel like God put this opportunity in front of me. I just knew the time was right. I set out with a goal and plan to utilize my time in Nashville to write with as many writers as I could with the goal of making an album. Every day that I was setting up a show, I was also setting up co writes. My very first co-write I did I wrote with Rick Farrel, who wrote Tim Mcgraw’s hit, “Something Like That”. I was geeking out so much… It was the most amazing experience. I also got to meet Bud Lee, he wrote “Friends in Low Places”
Watch Nashville TV star Riley Smith’s new music video entitled “I’m on Fire” Below:
“I’m on Fire” was a co-written by Matthew Perryman Jones and Tim Lauer (Hank Williams, Shawn Mendes, Blake Shelton).
ES: That’s fantastic! How many songs did you end up writing? You must’ve been busy!
RS: I ended up cutting 14 songs while I was there in Nashville. There’s such a synergy down there… Everybody wants to help everybody, and it was just an amazing experience. They were treating me like anyone else, and they were giving me the respect like anyone else. I slowly tried to whittle it down to what I wanted to put out was a 6-song EP. It took forever, and the hardest part of it was trying to figure out which 6 songs I would put out first. I sent it around to my family and friends to help me decide. It’s been over a year since I started the project, and now we’re finally finished with it!
ES: So, while you are putting together this album, you’re also acting… What a career!
RS: I was doing 70 hours a week 5 days a week on my TV show, Nashville. I had my hands full!
ES: Do you still get out to the barn at all?
RS: My schedule is so tight, but I do get some time to go over to a couple of my friends barns here in LA. I have one friend who has a reining horse, and then I also have another friend who has a warmblood dressage horse. I didn’t grow up with dressage horses, but that horse is an amazing animal. I’ve gotten to learn some of that, so it’s been really amazing.
ES: What is one of your all-time favorite equestrian memories
RS: My favorite story I was doing a movie in Namibia Africa. They flew me over just to see if I could ride a horse. I get out there, and we’re in the Namibian desert. It’s sand dunes as far as you can see. The hills are quite big, probably 25 feet up and down. I get on the horse, it’s an unbelievably huge horse. It was a Thoroughbred. We get out, and I’m with this girl who’s the Equestrian World Champion in Namibia. We’re loading, and then she asks me “are you read?” and before I could respond, she takes off! So, i buckled down and held on. Of course, my horse felt like it shot out of the gate like a porsche! When you’re going up the desert dune, you can just feel their leg reaching out in front of you. I was so shocked and scared in that moment, but it was the most amazing experience. For years I said I would never do that again, but now, I kinda want to go back… It was a rush!
ES: What is one piece of advice you can give to future equestrians or future musicians?
RS: The best piece of advice for anyone is to enjoy the journey, not the destination.
ES: Great advice, Riley. Thanks so much for talking with us today, we look forward to the launch of your EP on July 21st. Do you have any fun plans for the launch?
RS: Yes, actually On July 15th, I will be officially launching the EP at the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy, you can purchase tickets here: http://eiaaprogram.com/events/other-fundraising-events. The Eastern Iowa Arts Academy offers quality after school arts programming for K-12 grade youth in Eastern Iowa schools and human service organizations. Classes are offered in art, music, dance, drama, creative writing and cultural arts, and are offered at no cost to participants.
More About Riley Smith:
The sound of Riley Smith blends a smooth mix of country rock, with soulful Americana and a punch of pop for an authentic sound in equestrian style. His lead role on popular TV show “Nashville” opened several opportunities for meeting and writing with top talent in the city. His long awaited self-titled EP is produced by Kevin Leach, who has previously worked with a wide array of major label acts and respected indie artists. The five song EP is inspired by his time in Nashville and is relative to feelings and emotions he had whilst living in such a compelling yet isolating city. Smith explains how time and place had a huge impact on his writing process and ultimately made the EP what it is today. “My influences are as diverse as the city”. Smith decided to return to music, after landing a role in hit TV show “Nashville”. Aware of the impact of being in an iconic city of music, Smith’s goal was to take this opportunity and use it to his advantage. His time spent in Nashville encouraged him to submerge himself within the world of music.
Lead single ‘I’m On Fire’ features Smith’s warm vocals, resonating guitars and an infectious chorus. His heart wrenchingly authentic delivery results in a beautiful and achingly relatable record that is sure to be a radio hit. The song was a co-write with Matthew Perryman Jones and Tim Lauer (Hank Williams, Shawn Mendes, Blake Shelton). Smith describes how there was instant chemistry and respect between them all and how the song felt like it wrote itself. “I’m on Fire exemplified what my time writing in Nashville was all about to me. The synergy. The talent.”
Riley Smith will be released July 21st, worldwide.
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