Indie southern rocker Corey Smith will perform a concert at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in Keppel Auditorium at Catawba College.
Best known for his hit “If I Could Do it Again,” Smith is one of the top-selling unsigned artists today.
Smith grew up in Jefferson, Georgia, not far from the musical hotbed of Athens, listening to everything from George Jones to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Nirvana to Tupac.
While a student at the University of Georgia, Smith spent a lot of his spare time working on his songwriting and testing out new tunes for friends at parties.
He graduated in 2001 and began teaching social studies. Although he liked teaching, he couldn’t leave his music behind. He entered a songwriting competition and won the chance to record his first album, “Undertones,” which he calls “a really raw acoustic album” that he thought would be a demo.
It started making waves and he began getting calls to play shows. “One thing just kept leading to another,” he says.”
“Undertones” features the college anthem “Twenty-One” ó a nostalgic tune that tells the story of a young man’s desire first to know, and then to sustain, the carefree lifestyle of young adulthood. One of the most requested tracks online and at live shows, “Twenty-One” evokes full-blown sing-a-longs accompanied by fans waving in time with the acoustic melody.
“I’m Not Gonna Cry,” originally written as a gift for graduates of Dawson County High School in Dawsonville, Ga., has struck a chord with high school students across the country, gaining huge popularity through the internet.
In 2007, more than 200 schools chose the single as their graduation anthem.
Smith wrote and recorded “In the Mood” in 2004. Tracks like “Drinkin’ Again,” “Skin of My Teeth,” and “The Wreckage” evince an artist who is in the process of growing up, yet still reliant on past routines to cope with the pressures of settling down.
The birth of the first of his two sons marked a turning point in Smith’s life, evident in the 2005 release, “The Good Life,” which features “If I Could Do it Again” and “Carolina.”
His album “Hard-headed Fool” showcases a confident artist in full command of his gift. The title track is about a man coming to terms with his choices in life.
“It’s about learning from my mistakes, growing up, and becoming an adult,” he says.
“Life’s about making our own decisions and facing the consequences. Sure we’re all hard-headed. We’ve all done things that we knew we shouldn’t have done, and it seems like there is always a price to pay.
“But we don’t have to wear the past around like a heavy coat. The album, I think, is largely about that. It’s about being human. It’s about dealing with our selves and our mistakes and trying to turn them into something good.”
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of show. The show is restricted to ages 18 and up. Purchase tickets at www.coreysmith.com. For more information, call 704-637-4410.