We were lucky to catch up with Elisa Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’m currently working on my next full-length album titled “Perfume.” This album is a celebration of feminine power, that thing that women have that comes from a deep well of inner strength – the thing that makes us dig a little deeper and keep going even when we feel like we’ve got nothing left. Perfume is feminine power to persevere, to persuade, to manipulate (in a good way), to influence, to inspire.

The songs as this album are definitely the most vulnerable and open I’ve ever been with my writing, telling my own stories, stories of loved ones who have inspired me throughout my life.

The album is available for pre-order now at www.elisasmithmusic.com. You can also get access to limited edition exclusive merch like a hand-crafted perfume I personally developed in partnership with perfumier Olfactory NYC. We’re also pressing vinyl and printing a limited run of super cool vintage-inspired t-shirts signed by me. Every dollar goes to support the making of the record!

I’m also excited to share that 10% of the proceeds will be donated to a wonderful organization based in Boston, MA called Rosie’s Place. Rosie’s Place is the first women’s shelter founded in the USA in 1974 and they’re working to bring light and hope, helping to rebuild women’s lives who have been shattered by neglect and abuse.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

When Garth Brooks invites you on stage to play a song, you play a song! I met Garth when I attended a talk he and Trisha Yearwood were giving at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A student at the time, I was studying the neurological effects music has on the brain. During the talk, Garth mentioned that he still gets nervous before he performs and this resonated with me – I loved to perform, but struggled with stage fright. During the Q&A portion at the end, I raised my hand and asked him how he overcomes his nerves when he’s on stage. After asking me name, and what kind of music I play, he invited me on stage to play a song for him and the 400 other people in the room that day. After the performance, Garth gave me his guitar (the one I play with now) and told me to sing my heart out. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

After I was “baptized by fire” by Garth Brooks, I returned to my musical roots: my earliest memory is gathering my stuffed animals and cuddling in my dad’s guitar case while he practiced gospel tunes for church. As a child, I was enraptured by my grandmother’s stories of Nashville and the Opry in the 50’s and 60’s. I also share my father’s love of classic rock from the 70’s. And I fell asleep to my mother’s lullabies (which, as an adult, I learned were the dust-worn ballads of Woody Guthrie). Rock n roll and vintage country run in my blood. I began writing and performing with an unquenchable ferocity.

My sound has been likened to Loretta Lynn meets The Rolling Stones. In 2018, I released my debut EP, “Hitch A Ride.” Featuring Grammy-winning and platinum-status talent, the 6-song EP was produced by Johnny Duke (Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton). In 2022, I released my first full length album “Baptized By Fire.” Produced by Caleb Gilbreath (Brett Eldredge, Mandi Sagal) and Eddie Bayers (Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson), the album tells the story of redemption through love, family, and faith. In 2024, I released my EP titled “Spirit On the Run.”

An award-winning songriter, I won Country Song of the Year (“Nashville, Don’t Forget Me”) at the 2025 JMAs held at the Grand Ole Opry. I was also nominated for Country Vocalist of the Year and EP of the Year (“Spirit On The Run”). I’ve also been nomindated for three BMAs for Country Artist of the Year, three New England Music Awards for Country Artist of the Year, and her song “What’s One More” featuring Brad Sample was a semi-finalist in the Wide Open Country American Songwriter songwriting competition and the Road Ready American Songwriter Competition.

I’ve been referred to as “Boston’s Honky Tonk Country Queen” and “one of the best original country acts in New England,” and been featured on NPR’s The Culture Show, The Bull, Country 102.5, and indie radio stations across the country. I’ve headlined and performed at festivals throughout New England, performed on Boston local television, and I have been featured in WBUR’s the ARTery, HarvardEd Magazine, and music blogs from around the world.

It’s been a wild ride, but I’m just warming up.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I create music to soothe the soul, to bring a little light into a pretty dark world. I’ve had so many folks come up and tell me how my music has touched their lives in so many ways and that’s why I keep going. You never know who is listening to a song you wrote and how it changes their life for the better, or just simply puts them in a better mood or makes them feel seen. For me, that’s what it’s all about.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Support local acts, too and stop supporting AI driven drivel. Sure it sounds great, but it’s not real – it’s just a ploy to take your money. The best thing we can all do is to go out to dive bars and local music venues and support local acts by buying their merch and sharing their music with friends and family. Of course buy those tickets to see Taylor Swift and all your favorite artists, too! But you never know – maybe that young artist singing their heart out at the local bar might be the next Lady Gaga or Riley Green.

We’ve all heard the stories of artists who struggle to make a living doing what they love to make all of our lives better. Let’s make the struggle a little easier by showing them some love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elisasmithmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisasmithmusic
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisasmithmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq9uYJ_2TgIwDnf7wbUv7_A
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DuQ6P0o7YsP22YeiCOFJc?si=kkBfxCj8SYqcPi51Hy-XYg

Image Credits

Red13Studios
Lena Nugent Photography