In the span of two years, Cameron James Smith transitioned from obscurity into one of the brightest rising stars in the Texas country music scene.
Two years removed from the release of his debut single, “This Heart Belongs in Texas,” Smith has steadily built a catalog of songs that have attracted the ears of thousands who have tuned in on streaming platforms and whichever stage he is gracing.
Hoping to build on that catalog, Smith has offered Silveradiós, his first collection of songs he’s released in his career that not only doubles down on what we have loved from Smith’s music thus far, but also shows the culmination of those two years of hard work and brand building coming to fruition.
We chatted with Smith all about Silveradiós, as well as his successes over the last two years, his busy performing schedule, new music and more!
Pro Country: Your new EP, Silveradiós, is your first collection of songs you’ve released in your career. Why did you feel it was the right time to release your debut EP after a handful of single releases over the last few years?
Cameron James Smith: I have learned over the last two years that the very beginning of an artists’ career is kind of just a grind to get good original music out. In 2022, I released “This Heart Belongs in Texas,” “Two Left Feet” and “Lone Star.” It was a big year for me with a lot of work, but I still only had three original songs out. So in 2023, I released “Small Town Texas” and “Leaving You” and worked on developing a collection of songs so I could have more music available. My favorite way of releasing music is just releasing singles and working hard on promotion for one song at a time, but when you do that, you can’t build a repertoire of music very fast. So I released five songs on March 1st that I am very proud of, and I am excited to have 10 original songs out that took time to develop, but were absolutely worth the work.
PC: You mentioned on social media that you spent nearly a year working on Silveradiós prior to its release. As release day was approaching, how excited were you to have a collection of songs to present?
CJS: I was so excited, and I still am. I am so glad that people can listen to more of my music now, and I have received a ton of great comments from people that make it really special. Now when I get the opportunity to open up for artists or do acoustic song swap shows, I feel confident that I have a good collection of original tunes to pull from.
PC: “Silveradiós” is the middle song on the EP and deals with healing from a past relationship. Why did you feel “Silveradiós” was the right title track for its EP?
CJS: It kind of comes down to promotional attention. I knew that we were going to radio with “Burn Holes In Our Boots” and that it would get a lot of attention over the summer, and I love that song, but I also love “Silveradiós” and the way that it connects with that experience of trying to heal from hurt. I wrote that song in 45 minutes, and I have not gone back to change any part of it. It was almost like I just got a complete song in one writing session, and I’m really proud of it, so I wanted it to get the attention that I feel like it deserves from being the title track. It’s why I like to release a song at a time if I have the opportunity, because I want all the songs on my EP to get the attention they deserve, and I am very proud of all of them.
PC: “Knew Me When” is one of our favorite songs on Silveradiós, and is a song you solo-wrote. Can you take us in your head and talk about how the song came together?
CJS: I played several shows in a row last summer where I had people come up to me and tell me jokingly “Don’t forget us when!” And I started to think about that and just how I could never forget all of the amazing people that have surrounded me and given me opportunities. So I set out to write a song that told people that whatever I am is because of the doors God has opened for me and the people that have walked this crazy journey with me. The interesting thing about that song is that I wrote it two days before we were set to record the rest of the EP. So Silveradiós was originally going to be a four-song EP. I wanted it to be five songs, but didn’t have a fifth song that I felt confident enough in. “Knew Me When” is absolutely a song that I feel like God handed to me. It was one of the easiest writing sessions I have ever had, and it just flowed out of me, almost as if I didn’t have to think about it while I was writing it. I sent it to my producer and he loved it, and we barely got it recorded and put on the EP.
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from Silveradiós after listening all the way through?
CJS: Silveradiós is a multi-faceted EP for sure. “Burn Holes In Our Boots” is just about having fun and enjoying late summer nights with someone you love. “Silveradiós” is a classic “roll your windows down” country song about getting over heartbreak. “Thunder on the Plains” is more of a romantic “Burn Holes In Our Boots” about falling for someone and the special experiences you can have with them out on the plains where I’m from. “Knew Me When” is really a song of thankfulness. And “Hair Tie in My Truck” is a song I wrote for my wife about realizing how blessed I am because of her. I like to write about life and love, and I hope people connect with those themes through my music. I also want people to know that I am so incredibly thankful for them and for every time they listen to my music. They are the ones that support me in this crazy music journey, and the ones that “Knew Me When,” and I couldn’t be more thankful.
PC: You have plenty of live dates set through the spring and summer on your website. How much are you looking forward to staying busy on the road and on stage?
CJS: I am very excited. My favorite part of the job is playing music and meeting people, and that is what I get to do on the road. I have radio tour coming up in the summer, and that is honestly my favorite part of the year. I hope people can catch me at a show and that I get to meet them, because that is what makes all of this worth it.
PC: With Silveradiós now released, what do you have planned for the rest of 2024?
CJS: I’ll be working on music for 2025 and trying my best to get the music that I have out in front of people. Every year is another stepping stone and opportunity to meet more people and put out more music, and that is what I look forward to doing!
*Silveradiós is featured on The Best of Pro Country playlist!*
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