MuzicNotez: First off, it’s an honor to be doing this interview with you, thanks for taking the time to sit down with us.

What motivated you to start creating music? What age did you begin?

• Alex Smart: I started writing music some years ago maybe when I was 17-18. I wrote songs based off of songs that I loved at the time, but what I found was that I was telling stories of things that I couldn’t really relate to. At that point I stopped writing all together. It wasn’t really until a couple years ago that I found my own voice and my own stories to tell. To me, the best songs are the ones you hear from an artist and can tell they “lived it” they “feel it” and in some ways are the song itself.

Website: www.AlexSmartMusic.com
Facebook.com/AlexSmartMusic
Instagram: @alexsmartmusic
Twitter: @alexsmartmusic

MuzicNotez: Who were your musical influences, idols, or bands growing up that have helped mold you into the musician you are today? Or helped mold the music that you create?

• Alex Smart: As a kid and an inspiring guitar player I listened to anything I could find with bad ass guitar players. I dove deep into Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, etc. As I got older, I started to sway more towards the “acoustic story tellers/singer songwriters” like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, James Taylor, Jason Isbell, and so on. It’s a funny story really. I manage a grocery store here in South Carolina, and one day I was walking past the magazine racks when a Time Magazine caught my eye. Bob Dylan was on the cover and it said “the greatest songwriter of all time”. On that day I started writing again and haven’t stopped since. Sometimes the most random and insignificant things can change your world without realizing it.

MuzicNotez: What’s the ultimate goal you want your music to achieve, or for you to achieve in your career as a musician? Any particular message you wish to send?

• Alex Smart: My goal is to make the music that makes me happy. To make the music that means something to me. I don’t have any desire to be “rich and famous” or what they define as “making it”. If I could make music everyday and make enough of an income to support my family I would be that happiest man in the world. My main message as an artist is to tell people to be true to yourself. Don’t worry about trying to be what others want you to be, work on who you really are and try to be the best “you” as possible.

MuzicNotez: What’s the greatest concert you’ve ever been to or performed?

• Alex Smart: I don’t know if I could pick a favorite. I’ve been to many that were great. I can say the one that sticks out right away is seeing Chris Stapleton. He’s been an inspiration of my since The Steel Drivers and to see him in person was just awesome

MuzicNotez: Your latest release is the debut album ‘Chapter 1’, what does this album mean to you?

• Alex Smart: It means the world to me. I’ve always dreamed of recording my own album. I wanted the feel of this project to be almost like an “about me”. An auto biography if you will. It has moments of when I grew up, moments of personal heartache, and moments of love. My hope is that when people listen to the words I’ve written, they will get a glimpse of who I am.

MuzicNotez: What’s your writing style like? What inspires the music you write?

• Alex Smart: You know, honestly my main inspiration when writing is to write what everyone can relate to and to write with meaning. A lot of songs you hear on the radio today are just the opposite. Sure, a song about spending spring break on the beach can be fun to listen to at times if it’s got a good hook but do you remember those songs years from now? Every song I write, I do so because I have something to say and something that I’m sure others have felt at some point in their life. In my own personal opinion, if I don’t believe for myself what I’m putting on paper then what’s the point.

MuzicNotez: What was the recording and production process like for your debut album?

• Alex Smart: Oh man, It was like a dream! I mean, what musician doesn’t want to record their album in Nashville? To have that become a reality was an indescribable feeling. My producer Ben Reno welcomed us with open arms and really put everything he had into making this project great! It was a great time and I cannot wait to be back for the next!

MuzicNotez: What else are you working on? What can we expect to see and hear from you in the future?

• Alex Smart: I’m working on a number of things right now, but I would have to say the one I’m most excited about is my next EP. I am still in the beginning stages of everything, but I will say this… It is definitely going to be one to look forward to!

MuzicNotez: Anything else you wish to say about yourself or your music? Any message for your fans?

• Alex Smart: I just want to say thank you to everyone listening and be on the lookout because I’m just getting started!