Nate Smith grew up singing in church, tried Nashville once and went home, and turned the loss of his house in a California wildfire into the song that finally broke him through.
Paradise, California, before and after the fire
Nathaniel Dean Smith was born September 19, 1985, and grew up in Paradise, California, where a church youth leader first got him performing; he cites Garth Brooks, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac as early influences. He moved to Nashville at 23, signed with Word Records and a publishing deal with Centricity Music, and opened for Brett Eldredge, Eli Young Band and X Ambassadors.
He returned to Paradise in 2018. That November, the town burned down in the Camp Fire, and Smith's own home was destroyed. The experience inspired his song "One of These Days," which drew national attention, including coverage from NPR, and pushed him back to Nashville for good.
"Whiskey on You" and a major deal
His follow-up, "Wildfire," went viral on TikTok with more than 3 million views. Sony Music Nashville signed him in November 2021, and his major-label debut single, "Raised Up," followed. "Whiskey on You" (2022) reached No. 1 on Country Airplay and is now 3x Platinum in the US, while his self-titled deluxe album reached No. 6 on the Country Albums chart.
Two billion streams and an ACM award
"World on Fire" (2023) gave him a second Country Airplay No. 1 and went Platinum. After label restructuring closed Arista Nashville in 2023, he moved to RCA Nashville. "Bulletproof" (2024) later got a re-recording with Avril Lavigne, and his album "California Gold" followed the same year.
He won the ACM Award for New Male Artist of the Year in 2024, performed on the Today Show, The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and has since passed 2 billion career streams. His 2026 output includes the collaboration "After Midnight" with Tyler Hubbard and the single "Find Me in a Bar," and he is currently on the Long Live Country Rock and Roll Tour.
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