Undertones
Since the 2003 release of his debut album Undertones, singer-songwriter Corey Smith has been flying high under the radar, attracting an enthusiastic grassroots following with an Americana sound that is all his own.  Drawing heavily from the blues, country, and rock traditions of the South, he applies the back-porch twang of an acoustic guitar, a soulful singing voice, and well-crafted lyrics to the task of creating music that is at once distinct and familiar.  Audiences are certainly responding -proving that a genuine, unpretentious approach to songwriting and live performance has mass appeal.At twenty-seven years old, after nearly a decade of honing in his craft and coping with an unkind music business, Smith is thrilled to finally taste the fruits of his labor.  Growing up in a family of musicians in the small, rural setting of Jefferson, GA (a short drive from the famed Athens music scene), he has been singing, playing guitar and performing for as long as he can remember.  However, he traces his professional musical endeavors back to his college years, when he began learning the ropes as a working musician, taking classes in voice and guitar during the day and gigging at night.  Smith made extra money in local bars, restaurants, and coffeehouses, covering popular tunes and earning a reputation as an up-and-coming original artist, with songs such as "The Basement," "When the Sun Goes Down in Georgia," and "The Bottle."After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2001 and marrying his college sweetheart, Shannon, he took a two-year hiatus from professional performance and focused on his career as a social studies teacher at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, GA.  He continued studying music during his spare time and used songwriting as a way to cope with the pressures of settling down and transitioning from the college life.  Songs such as "In Love With A Memory," "What Happened," and the college anthem "21" were penned during this tumultuous period and poetically convey the emotional struggles that often characterize the end of adolescence.