Cameron James Smith Looks to Keep Momentum Rolling in 2023

A year ago this month, Cameron James Smith first popped onto the radar of country music fans with the release of his debut single, “This Heart Belongs in Texas.” Fast forward 365 days and the Lone Star State native has earned hundreds of thousands of streams across four singles, played countless stages and continued to build his song catalog as he works towards a full-length album.

After closing his year with quite possibly his strongest single to date, “Two Left Feet,” Smith has his eyes set on continued growth in 2023 as he has already compiled a busy touring schedule and has plans to return to the studio at the end of the year.

We caught up with Smith to chat about his two newest singles, staying busy on the road, new music and more!

Pro Country: The last time we talked, you had just released your debut single, “This Heart Belongs in Texas.” In the time since, it has earned well over 100,000 streams on Spotify alone. As an artist that was releasing music for the first time, what does tangibly seeing the success and support you had with that song do for you and your confidence?

Cameron James Smith: It’s amazing for sure, but I am just happy that so many people were able to connect with it. I heard countless stories of people who, just like the song, left home and realized that there is a piece of their heart that belongs somewhere. It’s a sweet feeling to know that my music can resonate with people.

PC: You recently released a music video for your single “Lone Star.” How much fun did you have shooting the video for the song and presenting it that way?

CJS: We had a lot of fun with the “Lone Star” video. I released the song back in May of 2022, and I knew that I wanted to do a music video for it, but we just didn’t have the time because it was right on the heels of “This Heart Belongs in Texas” and we were ramping up for our summer tour schedule. I knew that I wanted to film in Palo Duro Canyon, and it was a super windy day when we wound up getting down there, but it still turned out great and we had a lot of fun. After releasing the video, there was a bit of a resurgence in the song and a lot of people discovered it for the first time, so it accomplished its goal.

PC: Why did you feel that your newest single, “Two Left Feet,” was the right follow up to “Lone Star”?

CJS: As soon as we wrote “Two Left Feet,” I wanted to release it. It’s a great song about going dancing with someone special despite your dancing skills. It’s a special song for me and I think it resonated with a lot of people. I wanted it to be my second radio release because I felt like it had the same relatability as “This Heart Belongs in Texas.”

PC: Can you take us in the room and talk about how “Two Left Feet” came together?

CJS: This was a real night for me where my girlfriend wanted to go dancing and I wound up having a blast with her and not caring what I looked like out on the dance floor. I remember walking out the doors and thinking this could be a song. When I got on the writing call with my co-writers and they asked what I wanted to write about, I just told them the story and it came together.

PC: “Two Left Feet” is approaching 100,000 streams on Spotify itself. How encouraging has the response to the song been in the few months it’s been released?

CJS: It’s always encouraging to see that so many people have been able to listen and relate to my songs. Ultimately, that’s why I play music. My goal has always been to connect with people and put out music that gives people an experience or a memory of an experience that they can relate with.

PC: The last time we talked, you mentioned you were working on new music for your debut album. What information, if any, can you give about any forthcoming releases? What can listeners expect to hear?

CJS: I am currently in the process of writing and sifting through songs that I think would be good for an album release. I don’t want to rush the process, but at the same time, I cannot wait to put more music out. Whenever I get a new song written, I play it at my gigs to flesh it out and see if it’s something that people like and resonate with. If, after several shows, I hear positive feedback, then I tuck it away and count on recording it for the album. I will be recording music later this year, so I am hoping I will have a good batch of new music ready to release in early 2024.

PC: You have quite a busy performing schedule already laid out for the next several months. How much are you looking forward to staying active on the stage and bringing your music on the road?

CJS: Any time I get to perform live and connect with new people is amazing. I have a lot of different types of gigs right now too. I’m booking full-band gigs and solo gigs in a lot of different venues, so I am getting to enjoy a bunch of different experiences. I am loving taking my originals out on the road and getting to debut them as I write them.

PC: As an artist who debuted in 2022 and had a solid level of success, what was the biggest thing you took away from the year personally and professionally?

CJS: In the last year, more than anything, I have learned to enjoy the process. I got the chance to sit down with Kevin Galloway from the band Uncle Lucius, and his biggest piece of advice was just that: “Enjoy the process.” It’s easy to get impatient and want to book more gigs and put out music faster, but I am learning that there is so much to enjoy and learn where I am right now. I am also having to trust God with my future and my dreams, and though that has been a hard thing to learn, there is always peace in the waiting

PC: What do you have planned for the rest of 2023?

CJS: I am playing music live as much as I can and working on developing an album’s worth of music to put out. I am also getting married in June this year, so there is a lot going on, but it’s really good and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to stay busy with music and get to meet new people along the way.