Canaan Smith is coming home.
For the first time, the country music artist and Williamsburg native will headline 107.9 Cannon Country Fest, on Saturday. It’s the latest milestone in a musical journey that includes three albums, writing for country music stars such as Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean, and releasing his own hit single, “Love You Like That.”
Smith now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and two children. He moved there in 2009 to pursue a career in country music. In a recent phone interview, the 43-year-old discussed how Williamsburg shaped him as an artist, his new single, the importance of family and the influence of artificial intelligence on music creation.
How does it feel to come back to Williamsburg and be a headliner?
It’s so special. I’m feeling the support – I always have from that town. I’d play shows there, and people would show up and validate what I was doing and eventually gave me the courage to just take a step towards the dream and move to Nashville. So coming back after having achieved the goals … It’s such a rewarding feeling.
What was the inspiration behind your latest single, ”Throw’n Darts?”
I’ve been happily married for many years now, but, you know, before I found Christy [Smith], I was ping ponging around, trying to find my partner or whatever, and a couple times, just got close and didn’t pan out, and you know how that goes. With heartbreak sometimes you find yourself, different versions of yourself, actually. You look in the mirror one day, and you’re like, who is this guy? Like, what have I become? I think people can relate to the journey of trying to get over something and finding your way.
Could you speak more about what your family means to you?
They’re everything to me. The music is nothing without them or compared to them. It’s definitely the greatest gift of all is to have kids, man. Life’s so short, I was one of six kids myself, and lost my older brother, suddenly, in a car accident, when we were kids, and I just, I’ve learned from that point on just how fragile everything is, and to just soak up every moment you get down here.
What are your thoughts on AI use in music?
It can be a useful tool to a degree, at times, when you’re trying to get a song formed. We write songs on guitars most of the time. Then you either have to upgrade it to a demo, or you just get lucky, and the iPhone work tape is good enough, but sometimes with AI, apps like Suno can be used to just convert that iPhone work tape into a really fleshed out demo instantly. And that’s pretty cool.
But it’s also pretty dangerous, especially to try and use it for songwriting. I’m 1000% against that. I think every songwriter would give you the same answer. It’s definitely not the future for art. It’s a tool that can come alongside of what we’re doing and help us, like I was saying, for pitching songs, but outside of that, man, it can be a distraction and actually weaken your skills.
Back in the day, we didn’t have Google Maps. You either knew where you were going or you stopped to get a map. And then, and then you started losing that skill because you didn’t have to have it anymore. Well, the same danger is present for songwriting. If you pick up that tool and rely on that instead of your own skills, it can become a dangerous thing. So I definitely don’t use it at all for that. And I strongly advise people not to, honestly, because if art’s gonna live on, [AI] is gonna have to be kept at bay.
What’s next?
I’m gonna keep putting out new music. I’ve got a song called “Coyote”, pronounced Ky-yote, that comes out in either late August or early September. I’ve got a song by Tyler Hubbard on the radio right now called “Land.” And just hoping that continues to climb. And just grateful, man, every day I wake up and getting to do music is another day just feels surreal. So, I’m just thankful for every single one of them.
Smith will perform at a pre-show event at 7 p.m. Friday and headline 107.9 Cannon Country Fest at 2 p.m. Saturday, with Sam Riddle, Lane Rice and Cawson’s Coop opening. Both events will be held at The Williamsburg Winery, at 5800 Wessex Hundred. On-site parking is free. Tickets range from $20 to $129.
Editor’s note: WYDaily and Cannon Country 107.9 are owned by Local Daily Media.
