Nate Smith joined Thomas Rhett on Rhett’s Home Team Tour in 2023, and along with introducing himself to new fans, he also got some important advice from the trek’s headliner. During a recent stint as co-host of Country Countdown USA, Smith reflected on his experience on the road with Rhett, telling co-host Lon Helton that Rhett encouraged him to connect with the audience beyond just his music.
Thomas Rhett’s Advice For Nate Smith
“He told me, ‘You need to take more time to tell your story. They need to know who you are. They need to know you, not just your song,’” Smith recalled. “So every show since, I take a minute to tell my story. My thing is that I want to bring hope to people. That was the best advice. So I tell them about losing everything in the wildfires, moving to Nashville, and being down to $14, I share it all.”
Lon Helton also played Smith a clip of Thomas Rhett praising him, which caused Smith to get emotional. “Wow, I didn’t expect to hear him say such nice things,” he told Helton. “I’m teary-eyed. That tour, he taught me so much, I’m lucky to know him and call him a friend.”
Prior to moving to Nashville to pursue music, Smith was living in California when wildfires struck in December 2018.
“I was living near Chico when the fire happened, I lost everything,” he told Helton. “I got out of there just before the fire hit [and] I had a doctor’s appointment that morning. If I hadn’t left, I wouldn’t be here today. I lost instruments, family keepsakes, everything. Then I left for Nashville.”
The Advice Stuck With Him And Is Present Within His Live Shows
In addition to Rhett, Nate Smith also received some advice from Cole Swindell while on the road. “I got some good hang time with T.R. and Cole [Swindell] and was able to ask them questions about how to improve my show and stuff. The one thing that really stuck with me was ‘make sure you tell your story every night on stage,” Smith told ABC Audio during a recent interview. “We literally map that out every show now where I actually will take two solid minutes [and] tell everybody, ‘I’m not going to talk your ear off for an hour, but here’s why I’m here. And thank you for giving me a chance.”
During that same interview with ABC Audio, Smith showcased gratitude for all the fans that show up to shows early to see his supporting set. “I’m a new artist, baby artist, and it just means the world that people show up early as an opener and stuff like that to watch me. The big thing I’ve taken away from the tour is to just really tell people who the hell you are, you know?” he admitted.
Whirlwind Breakout Year For Nate Smith
Now, Smith is coming off a breakout year that saw him earn his first and second No. 1s at country radio — first with his Platinum debut single, “Whiskey On You,” and again with his follow-up, “World On Fire.” Smith also released his self-titled album, which achieved the largest album debut from a new artist in 2023 and also includes RIAA Gold-certified hits “Wreckage” and “Under My Skin.”
“If you would’ve told me back in 2018, that December of 2023, I’d be celebrating not my first, but my second number one at country radio, I certainly wouldn’t have believed it,” Smith told Billboard in a statement. “In December of 2018, I was absolutely devastated from the very fact that my hometown of Paradise, CA had just been destroyed by a fire. I had nothing left to my name. My friends/family came around me and helped push me forward.”
Smith also shared a message of thanks to his fans and those who have supported him on his journey so far. “It’s all about you, country radio for still giving this random dude from the foothills of California a shot, my world class management and SMN/RCA Nashville team, my incredible publisher, and Lindsay Rimes, Taylor Phillips and Ashley Gorley for writing it with me!” he said. “This accomplishment goes to show that anything is truly possible.”
He concluded his statement with a message of encouragement, sharing, “If you’re out there wishing you could go and chase your dreams, just go! Quit wasting time! Get you a few champions who will carry you all the way, and there won’t be anything stopping you!”
In 2024, Smith will hit the road on his headlining World On Fire Tour before joining Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour on select dates. He also has a number of festivals on the books including Stagecoach, Gulf Coast Jam and Windy City Smokeout.
