Courtesy of Big Machine Records
 

DAN SMALLEY is unwavering, echoing hard-lived experiences and removing any filters throughout his forthcoming IF I’M BEING HONEST EP. The four-song set out today (3/20) via Big Machine Records places him solidly within Country music’s rich legacy of storytellers.
 
Smalley may just now be making a name for himself, but he already sings with the voice of experience. And he’s got the bullet scars to prove it. The Alaska native who came of age in Shreveport, Louisiana, sings his confessional, soul-baring songs with deep conviction. Smalley expresses a fresh take on Country music that knows tradition, inspired by the greats of the genre and infused with the swampy sounds of his roots, the Gospel of hardwood church pews and the impassioned delivery of R&B. Artists like Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Al Green and Willie Nelson provided a musical roadmap for Smalley to follow, and the against-the-grain success of Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson drew him to Nashville.
 
Working with Keith Stegall, known for his award-winning work with the likes of Alan Jackson and Zac Brown Band, brings the same kind of sparkling production to Smalley’s IF I’M BEING HONEST EP, and songs like “Till Country Comes Back,” with its buoyant banjo and steel guitar. Ashley McBryde and Dillon Carmichael already have picked up on Smalley’s writing ability, including his songs on their recent albums, and he joins McBryde on the road for select dates this Spring. Smalley has also joined bills alongside Nelson, Tim McGraw, Justin Moore, and Dwight Yoakam. For tour dates and more, visit dansmalleymusic.com.