Our Mississippi Home talked with Zachariah Smith and his wife Crysta Smith while they were on the road headed north to Nashville, where Smith will record a song with Matt Hammitt. As you can imagine, they have been busy since Smith was a Top 5 Finalist in American Idol.
“We have been on the road a lot right now,” Zachariah shared. “We are just now scheduling shows in the south and are ready to be home for a few weeks! We are ready, the band is ready, it’s time to head south.”
Zachariah Smith now has a full band, and every player hails from Indiana, his home state, before moving to Mississippi. In fact, two members of his band, lead guitar player Mike Beckner and drummer Rick Simpson, are his second cousins.
“My grandfather always used to say that somewhere along the family line, we are related to Loretta Lynn. I believe it because our family has a lot of musical talent. These guys, as well as the other band members, are insanely talented. When I got to the TOP 26 in American Idol, I knew I needed to have a full band, so it’s great to work together as a team,” Smith shared.
As an ode to Mississippi, Smith’s newest single just dropped and is available on all platforms, entitled “Midnight in Mississippi.” Zachariah, his wife Crysta, and his father-in-law wrote the song together.
“Zachariah really wanted to write this song; he loved the title, and we wanted to pay tribute to Amory (where Crysta is from and the couple currently lives). You’ll hear him sing about the 1529 Frisco Train when you listen to the song. That train is in Frisco Park, in Amory, and is a large part of our town’s history. President Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech on that train. We wanted our Amory people to hear that and know we are referencing our hometown because it means so much to us,” Crysta shared.
Smith has another single coming out soon, called “Remain the Same,” which was also co-written with his wife Crysta. “He is also recording an album right now,” Crysta shared, and we’re hoping it will be released in the next two months.”
Crysta hasn’t always been a songwriter, but she shared, “I love watching him do what he loves. What better to do with our nights than to sit on the porch and work on this together? He literally sings to me every night! We sit around our fire pit with twinkle lights and work together. Creating this together has been beautiful.”
Zachariah Smith and his band will return to Mississippi next week and play in Fulton, MS, at the “Small Town Throw Down BMB Off-Road” event. Smith will be performing on September 23 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are free for kids 12 and under, and everyone who purchases a ticket will be entered to win a free signed guitar from Zachariah.
“This is something that he loves to do at the end of every show,” Crysta shared. “The outreach from the south has been tremendous, and we are really looking forward to returning to Mississippi for this event.”
All photos are courtesy of Zachariah & Crystal Smith
