Granger Smith

Mar 4th 2010 | DRIFTWOOD, TEXAS | From The Economist print edition

THERE’S no sense changing horses in midstream. On March 2nd Texan voters decided that Rick Perry, already in his tenth year as governor, will be the Republican nominee once more. “Looks like he’s going to keep that title for quite a while,” said Granger Smith, a country singer, before resuming his honky-tonk song at Mr Perry’s election-night party. Supporters ate piles of beef brisket and toasted marshmallows at the fire pit. Not even a third of the votes were in when Kay Bailey Hutchison, the state’s senior senator, called Mr Perry to concede. The governor ended up with 51%, leaving Mrs Hutchison with 30% and a third candidate, Debra Medina, with 19%.

Party bosses dread primary fights, which often leave the victor poor and bloodied for the actual election. But intra-party warfare can be productive if it forces the candidate to stake his ground or sharpen her message. Watchers thought the Texas gubernatorial primary could turn into a battle for the soul of the Republican Party, a contest between Mr Perry’s come-and-take-it conservatism and Mrs Hutchison’s more genteel, pearly style. As it turned out, the primary was not such a crucible. In fact, it was barely a contest.

Mrs Hutchison entered the race as the most popular Republican in Texas—more popular than Mr Perry, and more popular than George Bush had been just a few years earlier. And she briefly had the poll numbers to prove it. But as soon as Mr Perry started chipping away at her lead, Mrs Hutchison faltered. For the last few months her campaign seemed oddly deflated and unfocused. By February, trailing badly, she acknowledged what had been obvious for some time: Mr Perry’s attacks were working.

The two candidates were not far apart on the issues. Mrs Hutchison claimed that during Mr Perry’s tenure the state’s education system has stagnated, state agencies have been mismanaged and cronyism has flourished. Those are serious charges, but not philosophical ones.

In that sense, Mr Perry missed an opportunity, too. Not having been tested, he had no occasion to improve. So he will leave the primary season no stronger than he was before, and his next opponent is scrappier than Mrs Hutchison proved to be. Bill White, the former mayor of Houston, dominated as expected among the Democrats. He walloped Farouk Shami, a hair-care mogul, despite Mr Shami’s last-minute volley, a campaign ad in the form of a rap: “Farouk, Farouk, Farouk is on fire/Serving the community his number-one desire.” Stay tuned for the showdown. - The Economist

The perfect venue. The perfect dining menu. A couple of talented songwriters and performers, alone with their acoustic guitars.

So what, if it was Tuesday Night? Fans packed one of the best music venues in Greater Houston (And The Great State of Texas) for some coffee and dinner, but most of all, to see Granger Smith and Trent Willmon at Dosey Doe in The Woodlands, Texas.

From the Interstate 45 south feeder road, this place doesn't look that much different than all of the other business, restaurants and venues with one neon sign after another.

But step in its doors, and you feel the magic immediately. Once a barn in Kentucky, it was dismantled and shipped to Texas.

If you build it, the country music artists will come to play. And they do, from Texas Country to Traditional Artists. Contemporary Nashville artists. There's even some folkies, for good measure.

But tonight belonged to Granger and Trent. They traded banter back and forth, swapped stories, pointed out family members in the audience, made jokes, and switched off singing songs - all of them acoustic in this small setting. It was like having these guys come into your living room and play their tunes.

Smith mostly played songs from his newest album, "Don't Listen To The Radio." The title track was his only Texas Top 5 hit, which is ironic - he pointed out - given the title.

Willmon offered a mix of hits, past and present, such as "Medina Daydreaming" and "On Again, Off Again." He also performed songs that he's written for other artists - both Nashville (Montgomery Gentry's "Back When I Knew It All") and Texas (Roger Creager's "Cowboys and Sailors") and his newest single, "Keep On Lovin' You."

Smith spoke about "Before It All Comes Down" and how it was one of three final cuts to be considered for a Diamond Rio album. One of his friends had the other one. His song didn't make the cut, his buddy's song did - and it was "What A Beautiful Mess." And the rest is history.

When someone in the crowd shouted for "We Bleed Maroon," Smith's sentimental ode to his alma mater, Texas A&M, he said - "I think people know that song more than they know my name."

He talked about playing it in Lubbock before the Aggies upset Texas Tech, 52-30. He also complimented Houston on being one of the most "Aggie-Friendly" big cities in Texas.

Willmon gave Smith some good-natured ribbing on his being an Aggie, but turned serious after Smith played his signature song about the "town on the Brazos."

"It's a great, well-written song," Willmon said. "If you're not an Aggie, it makes you want to be."

Enough said.

So much of the show featured the back and forth banter, and Smith encouraged the audience to sign a petition to get Willmon to move back to his native Texas, from Nashville. That got lots of applause from the audience.

On a more serious note, the duo discussed their trips to entertain U.S. Troops in Iraq.

Smith told a moving story about a soldier - who along with his family - became fans of Smith after he was given the assignment of guiding the band through their trip on base. Two months after receiving an e-mail that complimented his music, Smith got another e-mail that informed him of that soldier's death in action.

He now wears a black wristband on stage to honor that soldier's memory and said the experience of knowing the soldier influenced him in writing the song, "Five More Minutes," on his latest album. The song also speaks of the bravery of Smith's grandfather, a World War II veteran.

No evening would be complete without a cover of a classic country song. And the duo finished the night with "Don't Let Your Mamas Grow Up To Be Cowboys."

It was impressive, but not as cool as seeing Smith and Willmon swap interesting stories and sing acoustic versions of their songs. It would be great to see these two do a tour with a format like this - if it's as good as it was Tuesday night, it will be well-received. - Mike Sudhalter (October 28, 2009)

A former member of Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets, Texas singer-songwriter Granger Smith is a hardcore Aggie and “bleeds maroon,” as he noted on a previous album.

A dedicated guy, that’s for sure. He’s also very determined and very focused as an artist and musician in the Texas/Red Dirt/country music scene. In a recent interview in The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, Smith was asked how he comes up with the songs he sings and records.

“I try to get inspiration day-to-day, living life,” Smith said. And regarding the subject matter, Smith adds, “(I)t draws from a lot of different stories – sometimes it’s other people’s stories and sometimes it’s my own.”

And with all that information combined – dedication, determination, inspiration and lots of talent – Granger Smith comes off brilliantly on his latest recording, Don’t Listen To The Radio.

Not having been familiar with a lot of Smith’s previous work, what struck me at first was the breezy, acoustic heavy, singer-songwriter style, the clear, smooth vocal delivery with a discernible Texas twang and song lyrics that show a thoughtful and sensitive guy who seems to reach out to his audience.

And he reaches out effectively and in an appealing manner. Just listen to the title track, “Don’t Listen To The Radio.” Smith sends out a gentle warning that if you’re heartbroken, “you’re bound to hear a love song, remindin’ you she’s gone, cause you did her wrong and drove her away.”

I’ll just say it now. In a perfect world, the current single, “Gypsy Rain,” would be a chart topper. Still, it’s a great song. Smith’s passionate vocals give this track some real power, as does, interestingly, Manny Lopez’s burbling bass guitar. Very nice mandolin solo as well and an unexpected break.

Clearly a song close to his heart, Smith emits a peaceful, easy feeling on “I Almost Am,” a truly beautiful song about a young couple looking towards the future. This is followed by the more upbeat “Turn It On,” a song with a guitar riff that will stick in your head for hours.

On “Pacific,” a midtempo tune, Smith plays on the word “specific,” replacing it with “Pacific” as he tells the story of a memory that “is very Pacific,” meaning one when he was with a woman on the beach, perhaps Mexico.

Recalling those heady days in your late teens is where Smith takes us on “Superstitious 17,” with its subtle-but-nice guitar solo and mandolin flourishes.

For the folk fans out there, check out the dobro, fiddle and accordion on “Dirty Dishes,” a song celebrating the joys of the weekend, when we can put everything off. This track is dynamite, and I suspect fun in a live venue.

“5 More Minutes” is a nice, acoustic ballad –piano, acoustic guitars, etc. - about Smith’s grandfather who served in World War II. It’s interesting, because Smith and the band have a special place in their hearts for the troops, as noted in that Battalion article referenced earlier, where he said copies of Don’t Listen To The Radio will be free for troops overseas.

“We give back to the soldiers for all that they do for us on a day-to-day basis; we try to bring them a little piece of home,” Smith told The Battalion.

More evidence that Granger Smith is not only a great singer and musician, he’s a classy guy and a true American. All the more reason to check out Don’t Listen To The Radio.

For more information, go to www.grangersmith.com. - Red Dirt Report by Andrew W. Griffin (October 8, 2009)

BAQUBA — In what many consider to be the most dangerous time of year here, one country artist and his band turned away from the naysayers and headed to Forward Operating Base Warhorse, outside of Baquba, to bring a “little piece of home” to the Soldiers stationed in the area in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 06-08.
Fellow Texas native, Granger Smith, and his band of fearless musicians flew into Warhorse to play some of country’s greatest hits, along with many songs from Smith’s own catalog, to the Soldiers of the 3rd “Grey Wolf” Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Hood, Texas, Sept. 23.

“I want to come here and bring a little piece of home to the Soldiers and I want them, for the hour and a half that we play, to actually feel like they are at home and to forget about being out here,” Smith said.

“I want them to have the chance to forget about what’s going on, to forget about their jobs and to have a little fun,” he added.

“Today was our sixth day in theater playing shows for the Soldiers,” continued Smith. “This has been great because each base has been different. We’ve gotten to do different things at each one and meet so many wonderful people, it’s just been great – no, it’s been awesome.”

During his concert, Smith also said one of his favorite activities was coming to Warhorse, visiting the artillery battery and getting to “blow stuff up.”

“Shooting some big guns, riding in Humvees and hanging out with the Soldiers has been awesome,” he said. “We’ve had a (heck) of a time out here.”

But for Smith, the trip to Iraq hits a little closer to home than many of the Soldiers may think. While attending Texas A&M University, Smith, who was a member of the Corps of Cadets, was pushed by his fellow cadets to pursue music as a career.

“It was wonderful (to play for the Soldiers tonight) because (while in college) I was in the Corps of Cadets and those guys pushed me and supported me and my music,” he said. “They motivated me to put out that first album and I really couldn’t have done that without those guys’ support.”

And as a way for Smith to say “thank you” to those who helped inspire him to follow his dreams, Smith dedicated a song to those Soldiers and the Soldiers of Grey Wolf.

“I played a song tonight called ‘Five More Minutes,’” Smith said. “It’s not necessarily a military song, but it’s about friends of mine that are in the military and it’s about my Granddad who flew B-24s in World War II.

“It’s a little personal song and it really means a lot to me, but I like to share it with the Soldiers,” he said.

As Smith and his band rocked the night away, many Soldiers took the chance to hear new music, sing along with some classics and two-step in front of the stage, letting loose before heading off to bed or back to work.

Spc. Jason McMunn, Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), 3rd BCT, was one of those dancers.

“One of my coworkers asked me if I knew how to two-step,” said McMunn about dancing in front of a packed stage. “I said ‘yeah,’ so I snagged her up and we went out there to dance. It was fun but a little hard to do in these boots.”

But for McMunn, dancing was just what the doctor ordered.

“It brought back some good memories (from being at home),” he said. “It was a lot of fun; I enjoyed the (heck) out of it.”

Both Spc. Sarah and Angela Andrews, HHC and Company E, 215th Brigade Support Battalion, also enjoyed the chance to hear “some good music.”

“I thought the show was really good,” Angela said. “I really enjoyed the fast-paced songs – things that you can dance to, those were nice.”

“And the morale boost – that was the best thing about this show, morale going up,” added Sarah. “The excitement about the show and being here to hear it, it’s a good thing for everyone.”

“It’s great to see so many people come out for country music,” added McMunn. “This has boosted my morale. It was just nice to let loose for a night.

“It is great to see these guys (in the band) come out and show their support to us,” he said. “If I see their albums in a music store, I will pick them up.”

As the night drew to a close, Smith signed autographs and handed out copies of his latest CD. He also had a few Soldiers sign his guitar he was playing while on stage.

“I’m getting the guys who have taken us around and showed us their FOBs to sign my guitar in hopes that when we’re finished with the shows, the guitar will be full of signatures and will go on display at the George Bush Library at College Station, Texas,” he said.

Smith had completed his mission for the night – giving the elated Soldiers of Grey Wolf a piece of home and letting them have some fun. But before he left for his next gig, Smith wanted to let the Soldiers know the pleasure was all his.

“I support the troops 100 percent, no matter what you do,” he said. “I will do this for the rest of my life; I will go to wherever (the Soldiers) are.

“I want to go to the small places, the places that no one else goes to that gets mortared everyday – I don’t care,” Smith concluded. “I will find you guys and bring that little piece of home to you.” - Spc Ryan Stroud (1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs)

Who in their right mind would want to be colorblind? Just ask 29 year-old Granger Smith, singer/songwriter, who thinks it would greatly help his memory problems. “Colorblind,” currently climbing the Texas Music Charts in the top 20 singles, is the latest hit from his 2006 Livin’ Like a Lonestar album that he recorded and engineered in his own home studio. The smooth, intoxicating melody of “Colorblind” whisks you away into Smith’s memory which holds green eyes, blonde hair, the color of her lips, and his desire to be colorblind.

“I talked to a songwriter friend of mine who is colorblind and a few years later I was still thinking about that,” Smith reflects. “If you didn’t have to think about colors, I think it would help a lot with your memory problems.”

Drawing from musical influences like George Strait, Smith describes his style as traditional country, sans rock. He first got his big break at age 20 when he had the opportunity to work in Nashville with EMI Publishing. He left school in the beginning of his junior year at Texas A&M University and moved to Nashville, where he was met by a slew of veteran writers who had hit songs before he was even born. Smith would throw out some lyrics and they would fire back with questions that would challenge him to really think about the meaning behind his lyrics.

“In Nashville it was great to see how the studio works, how the musician works with the producer, and how things flow. Even though I typically don’t co-write as much anymore, I can still hear the questions they would ask me,” Smith said.

Four years later, Smith had a new publishing company and manager who allowed him to make the trek back to College Station, Texas where he finished school. Things really began to take off for Smith while he was going to class and playing small gigs on Thursday nights. Before too long – guitar and diploma in hand – he was traveling on the weekends with a loaded schedule, playing to packed houses. And it’s still obvious that playing live is his favorite part of the gig.

“That’s the thing I love about the Texas country music genre. You can record an album in your house, go out the next day, and start playing it live to a packed house at a city in Texas. It’s just so fun – you can’t do that in any other state.”

The feeling of Texas is all over his music in songs like “Livin’ Like a Lonestar” and “What Would Jesse James Say” that force you to keep the rhythm with some part of your body. Smith sings of the things he loves about Texas – freedom, the open road, small towns, and the promise that he doesn’t perform “just ‘cause there’s money on the road.”

“My music is not money-driven. I would do it for free if I could figure out how to pay the bills,” Smith banters. “I love it that much, just bringing music to people and hitting the road with the band – that’s the best part.”

Even if the road leads all the way to Iraq.

For two years running, the Granger Smith Band has traveled to Iraq to play for the troops. It was so important to him that Smith poured his time into contacting Aggies that he knew in Iraq until finally an overseas booking agency made the dream a reality. Smith says that bringing a piece of home to the men and women in Iraq and helping to boost their morale is what he is most proud of as an artist.

So what’s next for Granger Smith?

Smith is currently working on his fifth full-length album and hopes to have it finished by the end of the year. Once again, he’s recording and engineering it right out of his home studio with his own band. Whatever the future may hold, Smith maintains a positive outlook on his career.

“In general, I am pretty easy-going and happy. I try not to let things bother me, but I always look for ways to improve,” says Smith. “I want these next 10 years to be a total growth. I want to help people as much as I can by giving music back – just as much as it’s given to me. It takes me to such cool places that I always feel like I need to give back in order to keep things spinning.”

Check out grangersmith.com for more information about Granger Smith, including tour dates, and how to get your hands on his music. - American Music Times by Blair Williamson

Takamine guitars typically are known for having a fine finish, but one resting behind glass at the George
Bush Presidential Library and Museum has a special coat.
Messages written with a black sharpie wish College Station resident Granger Smith well in his country
music career: “Granger, awesome show! Great to see a ’01 E-2 Rebel! Gig’ Em,’ signed by 1st Lt. Rains
Lowrance. 1ST Lt. Terry Genet wrote: “Look forward to seeing you in the top 10!”
Those two Aggies, along with dozens of others, were asked by Smith to sign the acoustic guitar while his
band toured nine bases in Europe and the Middle East in September. Smith and his crew resumed to
that tour in late Arpil, spending nine days in Iraq with plans to perform in Germany and Italy for 10 days.
They’ll return home Tuesday and plan to play at a private event in Bryan on May 24.
Smith, who served in the Corps in Cadets his freshman year at Texas A&M, is most recognized for his
song, We Bleed Maroon. His loyalty to his alma mater, as well as his country, comes out not just in his
music, but also in his actions, friends said.
So it was no surprise when he –along with bandmates Greg Phelps, Manny Lopez, Chad Jeffers and
Michael Holleman- returned from the first tour saying they wanted to share their stories with others.
Phelps, who owns College Station video business Frame by Frame and often does jobs for Bush Library,
asked officials there whether they’d be interested in memorabilia the band collected while in the Middle
East, recalled Suzy Cox, a curator at the museum.
“They had all kinds of things - the guitar signed by Aggies at each base, photographs, patches from
soldiers who pulled them off their uniforms and would say, ‘Here, thank you for coming’ and American
flags purchased by the band and flown overseas at memorials,” Cox said. “It made sense to connect
their trip here.”
Cox put together the exhibit, which is on display through the end of June in the rotunda of the library in
College Station.
“[This exhibit is] about a local person in their efforts to show support for our troops,” Cox said. “Granger
was in the Corps. His philosophy is since he didn’t actually go into the military, he wanted to do what he
could do with his own talents to support his friends and soldiers who are overseas.”
Before Smith and his band flew overseas, they were invited April 24 to the White House, where they
gave a small concert on the South Lawn at a rally for wounded veterans.
Cox said they’ll bring more items for the exhibit once they return from the current tour.
“The message was to tell people at home not to forget about us and to come back and see us,” Cox said
of those serving abroad. “It was very touching.”
Smith couldn’t be reached for comment, but his manager said the singer-songwriter was thrilled to be
associated with the library.
He graduated from Texas A&M in December 2006 with a history degree and was a member of Company
E-2 for one year. He was in school when he released his first album, Waiting on Forever.
After graduation, Smith moved to Nashville, Tenn., for a fulltime music career and signed with EMI
Music Publishing Co.
Smith’s fifth and latest album, Livin’ Like A Lonestar was released in 2006. About 11,000 copies were
sold in Texas in less than a year. His website is grangersmith.com - Tiffany Dejesus

With cheating husbands, depressing childhoods and swanky vocals, country music can often seem like a
musical version of a soap opera. But every once in a while, devout anti-country listeners have to succumb
when an artist proves that even songs of the country-western persuasion can be great music.
The CD “We Bleed Maroon” is a compilation of original songs from other CDs by Granger Smith, Aggie Class
of 2002. The title track “We Bleed Maroon” debuts on the record and will be played all over Aggieland for
years to come. This unforgettable song will bring every Aggie to tears with references to Bonfire and backup
vocals provided by the Class of 2007 seniors in Company E-2. The song will evoke memories for old Ags, pay
tribute to A&M traditions and will further convince new freshmen that they’re blessed to attend this great
University.
The other four songs are just as enjoyable and will relate to broader audiences. The first track “What Would
Jesse James Say” is an upbeat song that – with help from a catchy chorus- inspire listeners to conquer the
open road.
The second track “Colorblind” deals with wanting to forget that last heartbreaking relationship. The third
and fifth tracks are upbeat, can’t-wait-to-be-with-each-other type of affection songs.
The fifth track “Mockingbird Road” is the live version of the song. The only detectable difference between
the live song and other recorded songs are the cheers of the audience, which proves that Smith’s vocals are
just as raw and honest as his lyrics.
The music behind the vocals supports the mood of each song without overshadowing the lyrics. With each
replay, listeners will come to anticipate each instrument as they further encourage replays of every song.
Instead of insipid choruses that can plague the mind and cause never-ending grief throughout the day,
listeners will be delighted to replay Smith’s music over and over in their minds and iPods.
“We Bleed Maroon” will convert even the anti-country listeners and leave audiences racing to
www.grangersmith.com to hear the rest of his music. - The Battalion