Dallas Smith is BACK and he’s already raking in the awards.
The Canadian country singer’s new EP, Kids with Cars, was released September 11th and has already won “Album of the Year” at the CCMA Awards. Produced by longstanding collaborator Joey Moi (Florida Georgia Line and Jake Owen), this EP will be the first with Blaster Records, Smith’s new label partner in the U.S. The label has packaged the new single with four standout tracks from Smith’s previous independently-released Lifted for this new EP. All five songs will be included on his debut U.S. full-length album, which is set for release in early 2016.
So what inspired Smith’s new single “Kids With Cars?”
“It takes you back to the first car you ever owned in high school, to when you hung out in the parking lot,” Smith said. “You had your little group of Civics and imports over here, and you had the guys with the classic cars over there. And then there were the girls with the brand-new Mustangs. All of the different social groups were based upon what you drove.”
The single meshes really well with the rest of the EP, accomplishing a perfect blend of rock and country as did the previous four songs.
In the chorus, Smith sings,“Kids with cars / Back when who you are / Was all about having a ride on a Friday night / And how many friends you can pack inside / It’s just kids with cars, yeah / We’re just kids with cars.”
What teenager doesn’t remember his or her first car, proudly showing it off to their friends, praying they’d all want to hop in the back and take a ride around town? It’s an experience that no one can forget — the competition of who could pull into the parking lot with the better car, determining your status as a high school student.
There’s nothing better than reflecting on those pivotal moments — those moments that determined who you were during that particular time in your life. Smith does a great job of bringing those memories back to the forefront — and it helps that he sounds good doing it!
For Smith, he experienced those car cliques growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he eventually turned the key on what would become a hugely successful recording and touring career. As the lead singer of the multi-platinum rock group Default, he entertained hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, leading epic sing-alongs of the band’s monster hit “Wasting My Time.”
Now, armed with an arena-sized voice, Smith has amassed international appeal since making his American country debut with the infectious single “Tippin’ Point” and dominating the Canadian Country charts with songs like “Lifted” and multi-week #1 hit “Wastin’ Gas.” Named one of The Huffington Post’s 15 Country Artists to Watch in 2015, Smith is the only Canadian male country artist to spend multiple weeks atop of the Country Airplay Chart in the Nielsen BDS era for single “Wastin’ Gas.”
For more information about Dallas Smith, you can visit his website or find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Check out the Kids With Cars EP track listing below and listen to its entirety on Soundcloud.
1. “Kids With Cars” (Jesse Frasure/Brad Tursi/Ryan Hurd)
2. “Wastin’ Gas” (Matt Dragstrem/Adam Craig/Jon Nite)
3. “Cheap Seats” (Sarah Buxton/Jesse Frasure/Tina Parol)
4. “Lifted” (Jaren Johnston/Zac Maloy/Jeremy Stover)
5. “Thinkin’ Bout You” (Rodney Clawson/Ashley Gorley/Jimmy Robbins)
Photos: dallassmithmusic.com and Blaster Records
