Meet Paul Smock | Singer/Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Smock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, what’s the end goal, career-wise?
My end goal is to have quality content out in the world that is available for anyone who would enjoy it. I think making music is very motivating in the way that this art will live longer than I ever possibly could. By the end of my career, I would like to be a musician that has albums of songs that express the way I feel and believe to leave behind for friends, family, and future generations. I don’t mean to sound cheesy but I truly believe music lives on forever and that main statement is what originally brought me to the conclusion that this is what I wanted to invest myself into.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel what sets me apart from others is maybe my voice. I naturally have a lower voice so I find I can’t play most music without bringing to really low to my voice octave which hopefully will one day lead me to finding my specific sound which is the never ending goal with all musicians. I am very excited about the future and putting my music into the world just to see how it is accepted. To get where I am currently was simply just playing as much as I possibly could to really hone in my craft as well is always learning from others around me who have a lot more experience than I have. It definitely hasn’t been easy but I push through with the thought process of it this was an easy career, everyone would be doing it. I have such a passion for making music, I don’t think I could imagine myself doing anything else so I was going to push myself along even if it’s not easy at moments regardless. Some lessons I have learned along the way would definitely how to have a healthy relationship which my ego and not letting it hold me back. Growing up, I was very shy and didn’t have the greatest self esteem but I feel mentally I have reined in a lot of my insecurities. The brain is such a powerful thing and it’s amazing how it alone can hold a person back from pursuing their passions. What do I want the world to know about me, my brand, and my story. I think I would like the world to know that it’s not impossible to chase or pursue your true passion. If it’s something you want to do, put yourself out there because one day you might regret that you didn’t take that opportunity. My brand is simply me. If I’m playing a song, whether it’s an original or a cover, it’s a song I enjoy playing and hopefully it might be relatable to someone else in the world. I hope my brand and story might inspire anyone in the world to chase their passion and take a chance on themselves because you can truly never know where that will lead unless you try.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am very fortunate that I live in an area that has lots of live music and lots of local events to attend. I very much love good food and we have lots of good spots locally in town to experience so I would definitely take a person to some of my favorite “hole in the wall” spots around where I live and take them to see some of our local musicians. We also have some good fishing spots and anyone who knows me will tell you, if I’m not working, Im fishing. I love the conversation, the catch, and the relaxation of being by the water. So long long story short, we’re going to be eating, fishing, and watching some awesome local talent of the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have had so many people in my life act as role models/supporters/mentors that have made me want to further pursue this career that it would be impossible to list them all. I’ve always kind been around musicians my whole life so I think this was something ingrained into me at a very early age. My stepdad Dave and all his brothers were musicians which leads to some of my earliest memories being around music. My mom’s brother, Uncle Chris gave me my first acoustic guitar when I was young which was a crucial pivot in the way I play music and very much was an important part of my journey. My friend Samuel who was much better than I was plus his dad really taught me a lot about guitar fundamentals. I started playing open mics in my early 20s which lead me to my first opportunity to play lead guitar for one of my best friends, a songwriter named Aaron Daniel that mentored and taught me so much about everything else as far as booking, equipment setup, how to market myself, songwriting, and most importantly changed my genre of preferred music to country which is what lead me to where I am now. My family and friends have been a none stop support system and I’m entirely grateful to every single one of them.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/paulsmockcountry

Instagram: paul_smock

Facebook: Paul Smock Country

Youtube: Paul Smock Country

Image Credits
Photographers: Emma Lowe
John Wehn-er