Joanna Smith is an American country music singer. Before graduating from Vanderbilt University in 2018, she attended Auburn University for one year before pursuing a music career by playing with Mustang Sally at age eighteen. After leaving the band she began songwriting and recording demos. After signing to a publishing contract with Big Borrassa Music, she wrote two songs for other artists, including "Flying By", which was recorded by Billy Ray Cyrus on his 2007 album Home at Last. Also in 2007, Smith's rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was included on the Song of America compilation album.
In 2010, she signed a contract with Columbia Records Nashville and released her debut single, "Gettin' Married". The song charted on Hot Country Songs and was made into a music video, directed by Trey Fanjoy.
Stormy Lewis of Roughstock gave Smith's song a four-star rating, comparing it to the Dixie Chicks and Lorrie Morgan. Jim Malec, writing for American Twang, gave it a thumbs-down, calling Smith's vocal "shrill and thin". In August 2011, Sony Music Nashville announced that Smith and labelmate Bradley Gaskin will transfer to BNA Records as part of a corporate restructuring. After BNA closed, she moved again to RCA. That label released her third single, "We Can't Be Friends". It received 4.5 stars from Taste of Country. A fourth single, "Girls Are Crazy", was released to country radio on April 29, 2013.
In 2014 Joanna, also known as Jo, signed a publishing deal with Shane McAnally's company SMACKSongs. In 2016 she released an EP under the name Jo Smith called Introducing Jo Smith. The EP was produced by Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves, Sam Hunt, Old Dominion) and Jesse Frasure (Thomas Rhett). The lead single, "Old School Groove" was released as a Sirius XM Highway Find in early 2017. She has been included in Nashville Lifestyles' 2017 Ones to Watch, Rolling Stone Country's New Artists You Need to Know, and premiered the music video for "Old School Groove" on CMT. Currently she is the cohost on Coffee Country and Cody on Circle TV network.
Discography
Extended plays Title Details Georgia Mud Release date: June 7, 2011 Label: Columbia Nashville Be What It Wants to Be Release date: March 13, 2012 Label: Columbia Nashville Introducing Jo Smith Release date: October 14, 2016 Label: SMACKRecords
Singles Year Single Peak chartpositions Album US Country US Country Airplay 2010 "Gettin' Married" 55 — Georgia Mud 2011 "Georgia Mud" 57 — 2012 "We Can't Be Friends" 55 52 Be What It Wants to Be 2013 "Girls Are Crazy" — — 2017 "Old School Groove" — — Introducing Jo Smith "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Music videos Year Video Director 2010 "Gettin' Married" Trey Fanjoy 2012 "We Can't Be Friends" Ry Cox 2017 "Old School Groove" Jor.by
References
External links Official website