Country singer Lane Smith is no stranger to hard living and hard work—raised just north of San Antonio in Spring Branch,Texas, he grew up rodeoing as a bullfighter; the overlap between country music and rodeo culture is strong, and well-documented—the sport isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s stretches away from home, from loved ones, with long, dirty hours and no guarantee of a payoff not that different than playing shows on the road or that far removed from the idea of embarking on an independent career in country music that you plan to build from the ground up. But that’s exactly what Smith has done.

Smith released his first EP in 2018 and another in 2021, with singles earning more than a million plays on all platforms. His catchy blend of country music “will chill you to the bones while you’re tappin’ your feet, ” as his song “Big Show” exclaims. He’s

also already crossed off a few of his bucket-list venues, including the legendary Gruene Hall, along with supporting slots with artists like Kyle Park, Matt Stell, Colt Ford and Chase Matthews, to name just a few.

Smith is planning to quickly embark on the next phase of things: following additional singles this year, including “I Can’t Sleep, ”which has already garnered extensive plays on streaming services, he’ll finally release his debut full-length album on June 16,2023.

“Everything seems like a dream until you’re actually living it,” he says. “You start to see tiny bits of success through the trials and tribulations. You start gaining true genuine fans, you watch your stats start climbing and you’d be a fool to even think of stopping. I strive to get better every day, and stay getting better every day.” It’s impossible not to believe him.