NASHVILLE, Tennessee- I first heard the duo Smithfield in 2018 on Sirius XM’s The Highway when their song “Hey Whiskey” was a big hit. Comprised of vocalists Trey Smith and Jennifer Fielder, they are lifelong friends who grew up near each other.
Smithfield was one of my earliest features, and they remain one of my favorites. The pair has had its ups and downs in the music industry, and like many, COVID-19 had a profound impact on their careers.
They had just parted ways with their publishing company/label when the pandemic stopped Nashville and the world in their tracks.
Fielder recalled, “We didn’t have any funding. We didn’t know how to continue doing music. And that’s what inspired (the now smash hit) “We’ll Figure It Out.” Because we’d just gotten out of our second deal. We’ve been in music at that point for like eight, nine, almost 10 years. And the song was a love letter to ourselves to encourage us to keep going and chasing this because we believe we were meant to do it.”
I clearly remember hearing “We’ll Figure It Out” for the first time and thinking, “My kids, everyone needs to hear this song.” It remains one of my all-time favorite songs.
I had not realized that though they had been together for a while, Smithfield had never released a full album.
The success of “We’ll Figure It Out” inspired their debut album, Country With Heart. Released at the onset of the shutdown, they realized many other people needed the song’s poignant message.
Fielder said, “Everybody was feeling the same way that Trey and I were feeling: lost, confused, hopeless, and they needed a song to tell them that things were going to be okay.”
Their debut album, Country With Heart, proves they understand themselves and others. They “get life.” And while Trey is happily married, and Jennifer is engaged, they have had their share of heartbreak whether it be with a significant other, losing a friend, or a breakup with a record label.
They continue their whiskey theme with the song “Drink That Strong.” The words No matter what I do/ No matter what the proof/ I can’t get you gone/ Because they don’t make a drink that strong speak about a person or situation that is hard to get over.
Smith takes the lead in the song “Hell’s a Heartbreak, but their signature harmony takes the tune to the next level. The song beautifully laments a lost love as they acknowledge the pain.
On the surface, “Last Call Summer” is about summer and its ending, but the overarching theme is a metaphor about life. Part of living is understanding the seasons of life. So, whether taken literally or figuratively, the song is a summer anthem.
Smith said, “With this album, we kind of take a different approach. Instead of starting with falling in love, we start with getting heartbroken, and then we kind of move into the falling-in-love stuff towards the end of the album.
“Don’t Know Myself” questions how the person can do life without their significant other being part of it, and “Overdoing Getting Over Me” reflects how their partner can move on so easily after the relationship ends.
But once new love is discovered, “Run With It” is about going all in with a relationship. The lyrics I want to run/ I want to go too fast/ let’s jump the gun… prove they are ready for a commitment even if it seems a little too soon.
My favorite song on record is “What I Got.” It’s about being happy in a house with a roof over your head, a car that starts with a radio, and a dog that can’t wait for you to come home. It’s when they learn that “having everything, ain’t everything.” The song is such a great “pick me up” and a reminder that there is a season and a reason for everything that happens.
Fielder stated, “We’re happy getting to do what we love to do for a living and happy servicing our fans the way we want to service them. But at the end of the day, we’re artists and we’re human beings. And a pat on the back from the industry we’ve given our life to or having bigger opportunities would be amazing. I can’t lie about that. So yeah, we feel heartbreak.”
And even with them both being in steadfast relationships, the heartbreak they feel being in the music industry is a reality many cannot comprehend unless they have experienced firsthand.
Smithfield’s understanding of the human condition is more introspective than that of the average songwriter, which puts them in a category all their own. Sonically, their beautifully blended voices take us on a magnificently winding journey.
Everyone will relate to at least one of two songs from Smithfield’s Country With Heart record, but I recommend listening to it all, from start to finish, because it is a masterpiece that must be consumed.
You can follow Smithfield on their website, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, and all streaming platforms.
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Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and X.
