Mid Tenn Listens with Valerie Smith ep.36

C Bret Campbell and Valerie Smith hijacked an office at Charter Channel 6 after a show both participated in. Available Here (Valerie is at 1:18, Bret at 54 min.)

Valerie explains the number one secret to the DIY approach for independent musicians. There is no doubt about it, she’s right.

She runs a label, has a studio, tours all over the place on both sides of the pond, and has years of experience to share in just a few minutes.

check out www.valeriesmithonline.com and www.bellbucklerecords.com to learn a lot more,

With her experience, she is a true example of a Middle Tennessee independent musician making her own way and making it good!

“I was an odd duck in an odd place,” Valerie recalls with a smile. “I would sing country things, but every time I did, people would say, ‘you’re kind of bluegrass’—but then a lot of people felt that I wasn’t really bluegrass, either. I wasn’t really aware that you were supposed to play an instrument on stage; I thought, ‘I have a great band, and they don’t need me to be something else, they need me to be who I am, to be a singer and an entertainer.’ I felt really strongly about that, and I didn’t back down for a long time.” Being true to her own vision earned her criticism in some quarters, but it also earned her respect and admiration—and an ever-growing legion of fans—elsewhere (and, Smith adds with a grin, now she plays an instrument on stage whenever she likes).”