Conner Smith is in his storytelling era.
The 24-year-old country crooner — who made waves on social media with his viral hit “I Hate Alabama” in 2021 — introduces the world to his creativity with the release of his new concept album The Storyteller.
Released on all music streaming platforms via The Valory Music Co. on October 4th, Conner describes the new project as one that’s “really special” and “purely from [his] heart,” as the songs were written for himself without wondering what anyone else would think about them.
“The reaction and the response for the release of this record has been different from any other record before, because I kind of don’t have expectations for it. I think I’m learning that when you start from that place as a creative, it’s a much better place to kind of show your art to others,” Conner tells Celeb Secrets.
“I think these songs are impacting in a way that is really cool and really different and unique. It’s been really fun to have this record out finally and just kind of get to let the fans have what really feels special to me and see their reaction.”
Covering questions of ultimate substance and coming-of-age clarity, The Storyteller is all about what Conner loves about Country music. Produced by Dwight Baker with the raw, real-world recording philosophy of physical instruments and live takes, the songsmith wrote four out of the five tracks solely by himself, bringing even more passion and meaning to this new collection of songs.
“I read a comment that said, ‘the storyteller isn’t a title, it’s a statement,’ and I think in a lot of ways it kind of was that. I wanted this record to encapsulate the heart of what I love about country music, which is storytelling, and I think every one of these songs kind of tells its own story. I wanted it to feel very just like genuine.”
While each song has a special meaning, one that stands out to both Conner and his fans is his solo penned “Faith From A Farmer.” Written over the course of a full year, the heartfelt ballad serves as the creative anchor of Smith’s new chapter – and offers grounding to anyone in search of inner peace.
“I really poured my heart into [‘Faith From A Farmer’], and the song was just so visceral to me. That’s a song that if I heard someone else record it — if someone else had written that song — it would be a song that I would text them and be like, ‘dude, this song is so special.’ I just feel blessed that I got to tell that story, honestly,” Smith gushes.
“I had the song for a little bit of time, but I think [‘Faith From A Farmer’] was also the song that kind of set me on a path to go like, whatever that is, whatever that emotion is, I felt when I wrote that song is what I want to try to continue to capture.”
Aside from promoting his new record, Smith has been out and about on his headlining The Storyteller Tour, which kicked off on October 8th in Great Falls, Montana. Exploring a new market in the West, the 24-year-old tells Celeb Secrets that while it’s definitely “nerve-wracking” to play at places he’s never been before, it’s cool to see that people so far away from home resonate with his music.
“You never know if people are going to show up or not. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t, but it’s been cool,” Conner says of his experience. “We were somewhere in Montana and I was just looking at the crowd… it’s crazy to me that this far away from home, this many people would show up to hear songs that I’ve written. That buzzes my mind every night.”
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For more on Conner Smith’s music, make sure to watch our full interview below. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of The Storyteller by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sliding into our DMs on Instagram at @celebsecretscountry.
You can connect with Conner by giving him a follow on Instagram at @connersmithmusic.
LISTEN TO “THE STORYTELLER” HERE:
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