By Lauren Schwab Eyre

When I think of down-home, I think of many sounds. The soft strum of a guitar as I walk through the field, the beat of drums as we drive the truck on a backcountry road and that electric guitar riff as we jam out by the bonfire. When you combine all those sounds and scenery you have music only those who grew up that way will understand. One of those people making music to the down-home sound of Ohio is Noah Smith.

Having grown up in the next county over to my husband’s family in Southeast Ohio, Noah sings of his Brown Country roots. I discovered his music through a video of him playing at a local brewery and instantly had to be at one of his shows. He sat down with me to talk about his start in music, how his fans are supporting his passion and have become a “Big Ol’ Family”. Read on to learn more about Noah’s country music road that always takes the “Long Cut”…

Inspired by his Great Uncle who was a published poet, Noah fell in love with writing as a young boy. Those poems turned into songwriting, which turned into joining a band and eventually deciding to make it a career. This decision led to many days in Nashville working with others in the business to record his own music. Noah’s sound stems from the blue-collar lifestyle he grew up knowing then blends it with notes of Southern rock. Each song expresses a part of Noah while combining the nostalgic and celebratory feels country music is known for.

Over the past four years, Noah has organically grown his “Big Ol’ Family” of fans by touring across the nation and into Canada. They connect with his music and want to support his work as an independent artist. Some fans go to every show and buy every album and piece of merchandise he sells. This gratitude led him to create an online community for his supporters to connect. During the pandemic when touring was canceled, Noah launched a paid online membership where fans could both support him and connect through live video chats and special performances.

Noah’s gratitude for his fans shines through at his shows as he enjoys seeing the crowd sing along and have a fun time. Throughout the night of the show I attended, he told stories of growing up in the country without Internet or cable TV. His parents told him to go outside and play. As he got a little older, “We would steal my dad’s Makers Mark and mix it with Mountain Dew, we called it the 4-H cocktail,” Noah told the crowd, “We set everything we could on fire and started chasing girls.” As the crowd laughed, he played a single off his Long Cut album, “Ohio That’s All I Know”. The soft rock and bluegrass vibes draw the listener into the campfire stories he tells throughout the lyrics.

“Summer nights in Ohio, hell that’s all I know. We’ll talk about Jesus, we’ll talk about leavin’ this little town, I know somehow some of us are never gonna leave it.”

– Noah Smith

Out at the campfire, tellin’ stories about the wise men of the world. Tellin’ lies about the girls. Laughin’, tellin’ jokes, I forgot how the punch line goes.”

– Noah Smith

Noah’s albums are comprised of songs about all aspects of his life. From appreciating each day of freedom our country gives in “Ain’t So Bad Round Here” to showing up at church the morning after playing music in a smoky bar in “Cigarettes and Jesus”. His music tells the reality of not being perfect, being proud of how you were raised, and not forgetting to celebrate life. He doesn’t run from sharing his faith throughout both albums and lets the stories he shares musically happen naturally. 

Creating his own musical style and brand over the years has led Noah to pass on what he has learned with other independent artists through a coaching program he created called The Long Cut Mindset. Noah is all about putting in the work to reap the rewards of a meaningful career that supports his family and fuels his creativity.

To learn more about Noah’s music, fan membership, and coaching program, visit noahsmithmusic.com. Also, follow him on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know of new songs and shows. You can stream and download his albums Long Cut and Ain’t So Bad Round Here today on Spotify and all music platforms. 

Photo Credit: Noah Smith Instagram