We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tex Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tex below.
Tex, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Like any craft it takes time. You work at it, create, and assess and then repeat. I don’t know that you can speed up the process, maybe you could take music lessons and play more gigs, but like anything the real CONTENT comes from life. SONGWRITING IS A TOUGH SKILL TO HONE, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME LISTENING TO AND STUDYING THE GREATS. The BIGGEST OBSTACLE is learning to be confident in who you are, and enjoying the process. Too many people out there try to follow a formula or chase what others are doing. Be yourself, do what you love, that’s art.
Tex, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
From a young age I was moved by music. Looking back, as a young person I was constantly finding ways to get more music in my life whether it was listening to my older brothers record collection, or just constantly feeling the need to have the radio on without really realizing it. I couldn’t get enough of it. As I got older it developed further. My brother had a band that was really influential on me in high school, around that time is when I got my first guitar and started experimenting with writing songs. I was a closet songwriter for many years. I would write songs and record them on a little 4-track recorder but would never share them with anyone. Years later a move to Austin,TX and some encouragement from my brother and a few friends inspired me to go to the local
songwriter songswap, which became a weekly thing. That quickly led to the recording of my first record. It was during that recording process that I lost my first wife unexpectedly to suicide. Music became my therapy and solace. I wrote a lot of material and recorded two more records in the span of two years. I realized in that period of life the true power of music. From that point forward I have always tried to write songs about life. I’ve written and recorded 6 albums to date and feel that they all tell somewhat of a chronological story of redemption.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Support local artists whenever you have the opportunity. Throw 5 bucks in the tip jar, buy a cd or lp, or a t-shirt at their show. This goes way farther than you realize. Sometimes it’s literally that $10 that’s going to buy their gas to the next gig or a sandwich to eat. I can’t tell you how many shows I’ve played where the band walks away with only a couple of dollars each in their pockets. It happens more than you think. I have a personal rule in that if I’m somewhere and a there is a band or musician playing with a tip bucket out front, I always throw in a couple bucks, no matter what.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?
By doing what you love & BEING YOU you’re able to inspire and change the way someone might look at something. Its one of most powerful things on earth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.texsmith.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texsmith/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TexSmithMusic
- Other: https://texsmith.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Jon Chamberlain, Steven Collins, Allison Wallace, Whippoorwill Records