Photo: Matthew Berinato
Nate Smith recently scored his latest No. 1 single, and he's spent his nights on stage witnessing its impact on audiences across the country.
Smith, 40, recently spoke with iHeartCountry about the teamwork behind the scenes to deliver an irresistible hit anthem, remaining authentic in his music, connecting with crowds on a deep level (while managing to maintain top-notch energy on stage), and more.
“Fix What You Didn’t Break” became Smith’s most recent No. 1 hit, following “Whiskey On You,” “World On Fire” and “Bulletproof.” He wrote “Fix What You Didn’t Break” — which opens his sophomore record, California Gold — with songwriters Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips and Lindsay Rimes (the same team that penned “World On Fire” together). Smith said the group talked about the music that influenced him throughout his life, including country, rock and pop-rock (artists like Lifehouse, Goo Goo Dolls and more). The finished California Gold anthem turned out to be “a really honest lyric,” combined with the “nostalgia of the 2000s rock era.”
Smith admitted it can be “a scary time” to wait to see how a song is received or whether it reaches No. 1. In August, he shared a look at the emotional moment he learned the impact of “Fix What You Didn’t Break.” He explained while catching up with iHeartCountry that it felt “important” to share how life-changing a song can be for an artist and their entire team, in addition to the audiences who sing along with every word.
“Any time you hear a story from a fan that a song touched their life in a special way or helped them get through a hard time, or they’re using the song for a wedding song…it really brings you back to, ‘this is why I make music,’” Smith said. “When I first came to Nashville it was really – I think in some ways, it was kind of the fantasy of Nashville. It was like the, ‘oh my gosh, I wanna get a record deal,’ and ‘I wanna make it big,’ whatever that means. You know what I mean? And I think the second time I moved in 2020, July 1of 2020, it was actually five years ago, but it was just a different mentality going into it. It was like, ‘man, I wanna do something for other people,’ you know? I wanna make songs that connect with them…I think the big thing for me is when I’m on stage now, I’m kind of looking for those super fans that are in that pit right there. I’m looking down to see who’s really connecting, who’s really singing, and you could just tell. You don’t know exactly what went on in their life, but …it’s so special every time.”
Smith has spent a lot of his time performing and connecting with fans while touring with reigning Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade Jason Aldean throughout the year. Smith said he’s “so stoked” to be part of Aldean’s tour, and has learned a lot from one of the genre’s biggest megastars. Smith said he’s been able to connect with longtime fans and new ones, watching their expressions during unforgettable moments on stage (including when actor and comedian Kevin James made a surprise appearance, reuniting with Smith after appearing in the “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend” music video with HARDY. Smith said James is “a really good friend of mine, and such a normal guy in every way. …He’s doing so much with country music now. It’s freaking awesome”).
Next year, the Paradise, California-born country star will return to his home state to take part in the star-studded Stagecoach Festival lineup in 2026. The event, which Smith hails “the biggest party ever,” will return on April 24 through April 26 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone will headline Stagecoach with additional performances by Bailey Zimmerman, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Journey, Brooks & Dunn, Hootie & the Blowfish, Ella Langley, Chase Rice, Wynonna Judd, Little Big Town, Jake Worthington, Marcus King Band, Josh Ross, Gavin Adcock, Teddy Swims, Warren Zeiders, Chase Matthew, Redferrin, Tyler Braden, Third Eye Blind, Wyatt Flores, Brett Young, Max McNown, Hudson Westbrook, Kameron Marlowe, Ryan Hurd, Eli Young Band and more. Passes are available as of Thursday (October 2). See the full lineup post here.
“Getting to play Stagecoach is every artist’s dream. It really is,” Smith told iHeartCountry. “I’ve always said, ‘man, if they let me play the parking lot, I would do it in two seconds,’ because it really is that special of a thing. Your life could be changed completely forever just being on the lineup there. It’s a really big deal. …It’s pretty wild to get to do it again, and it’s gonna be a great lineup this year, so I’m really excited. …Everyone’s crushing it right now. There’s a lot of hitmakers, and I’m so stoked that they would consider me.
“We’re always gonna bring that fun, upbeat (energy),” he continued later. “We bring a lot of energy, a lot of fun, a massive party. Those are the kind of songs I wanna be a part of and that’s the vibe I want my shows. I want people to move around and have fun, scream and yell…so that’s what we’re gonna do.”