Exclusive: Getting to Know Jennifer Smestad

While everyone’s journey may be an individual path, that doesn’t mean you have to face obstacles alone.  Arizona native Jennifer Smestad new from a very young age that she wanted to be a country singer, and when she faced personal challenges that could have prevented her from attaining her dream, she didn’t let it.  Instead she, along with family and her faith, fought on and became the incredible person and singer she is today and an inspiration for those who also battle OCD, social anxiety and Tourette’s Syndrome.  Earlier this month, Jennifer signed with TwentySeven Music Publishing and today she releases “Can’t Have Mine,’ her follow-up single to “Half the Man,” a song she wrote in honor of her father.

We recently caught up with Jennifer to talk about her personal journey, her relationship with her dad that inspired her last release, her new single and more.

CN: For our readers who may not be familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

JS: Yes! I am a country singer and songwriter from Gilbert, Arizona originally, but I live in Nashville now! I grew up on 90s country mostly, so I love to incorporate some aspects of that and mix it with a little bit of the modern and pop components I like, too. It’s fun to create! Aside from music, I love Jesus, spending lots of time with my family and friends, traveling the world, all the sunshine and 100 degrees, hiking and being outdoors.

CN: As we hit the one-year mark of COVID-19, we hope everyone in your circle is safe and healthy. How are you holding up?

JS: YES. Thank you for this question. I am a big fan of honesty and vulnerability, so honestly, it’s been a tough year. There have been so many blessings and I am beyond grateful for every opportunity that has come my way in the past year, but it has been difficult, as well. I don’t want anyone to assume that my year has only been filled with highs and that I haven’t been affected by covid because I have — it’s been a trying year for me, too. I’ve been battling anxiety my whole life, and this past year it has peaked with all the unknown and uncertainty of everything (including my health and my career). I’ve been facing spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental battles, I’ve suffered a lot of loss that was completed unexpected, and, of course, I’ve been trying my best to adjust to new “normals”. I am strong in my faith and even that has been tested, but I know God uses everything for good. I see glimpses of hope where I’ve felt hopeless, and I can already see in certain areas where He is turning suffering into joy in my life and in the world. I am constantly learning to trust Him and focus my mind on being grateful for what I have here and now. I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books, listening to lots of sermons and podcasts, being vulnerable and open with my close friends, and trying my best to transform my thoughts and mind when I get stuck in negative downward spirals.

P.S. If you’re looking for a good book to read that will help you learn how to stop the spiral of toxic thoughts, I HIGHLY recommend “Get Out of Your Head” by Jennie Allen. It is SO GOOD. I just finished reading it myself.

CN: At the age of 10, you were diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, OCD, and social anxiety. Leaning heavily on your family and faith to help you through, how were you able to overcome these challenges to pursue your dreams of being a country singer? How did your strength help shape you into the person you are today?

JS: I can go on and on about this, but I’ll try to keep it short and sweet! Of course I had the incredible support of my family on my side, the power of prayer, and the fact that God performed a huge miracle on me. I also did natural Chinese acupuncture treatments along with Chinese herbs that really helped me and changed my life. (If you ever consider acupuncture, consistency is key. I go to Dr. Jing Liu with Eastern Medicine Center in Scottsdale, Arizona.)

Aside from all of those obvious answers above, the biggest way I was able to overcome challenges was to make myself uncomfortable. I know it sounds weird, but let me explain. I wanted to become a country singer so badly, but it felt impossible because I was too afraid to sing or talk in front of twenty people at recitals or in my high school classes. I often ran out of the rooms, so there was no way I could sing or talk in front of big crowds. But, I wanted to pursue music SO badly and I knew the only way I was going to get better at it was to just do it. To practice it and probably fail miserably and embarrass myself. But my thought process was, “if I do the one thing that makes me so scared and nervous and uncomfortable, won’t I start to become more comfortable with it the more I do it?” So I just started doing it. I tried out for cheer in high school, I gave a speech in front of my entire high school class of about 800 people in order to be elected into student counsel, and I sang the National Anthem at spring training games. I started small and kept doing more and more, and eventually it became second nature. It actually became exciting and exhilarating for me! Don’t get me wrong though… it wasn’t easy. At first, I was up all night the night before having an anxiety attack and crying over everything that could possibly go wrong. I felt physically sick to my stomach and was shaking with nervousness. But afterwards, it always felt like such an accomplishment to face a fear like that. And here’s the other thing, it never fully goes away. I still have to practice it. If I haven’t performed for a while (which I haven’t because of covid) my fear and anxiety of performing can become greater again, so I always practice it. I always try to perform whenever I can to stay in the groove.

CN: How important is it to you to be a voice for others who are also battling these challenges, especially those diagnosed young like yourself?

JS: It’s of huge importance to me to share my story so others don’t have to feel alone or crazy or like they’re the only ones going through something like this. I felt so alone, and even just hearing that someone could relate to me was a huge sigh of relief. As an adult I still deal with the aftermath and trauma of what I’ve been through as a kid, and I can get caught up in the lie that I’m alone and the only one dealing with this, but I know that’s not true. I used to be so against counseling because I was afraid of it, but now it’s my saving grace! I want people to know that therapy is good and healthy for anyone and everyone, not just those with mental health concerns. It’s helpful to have someone professional to talk to with the evolving life changes and challenges and emotional difficulties. I’m all for taking care of your emotional health!!

CN: When did you realize that you wanted to pursue music as a career?

JS: I’ve wanted to be a country singer since I was probably three years old and it has stuck with me all these years! But I remember being in high school thinking about what I should go to college for and what I wanted to do if I decided to not do music. I loved math and thought about becoming an architect or an engineer, and I also loved sports and thought about becoming a sports broadcaster, but I didn’t want to quit music before I even started it. I loved school and always wanted to graduate college just as a personal goal of mine even though I knew I didn’t need a degree to do music (plus, I had a full ride scholarship to college). I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at Grand Canyon University, and then left my degree in Arizona to move to Nashville. I didn’t have a backup plan and I put all my eggs in one basket and have never looked back, aside from a million anxiety attacks wondering what I’m doing and if I’ll ever “make it”.

CN: Which artists have influenced you both personally and as an artist?

JS: When it comes to music stylistically and lyrically, I really admire Kacey Musgraves, John Mayer, and Maren Morris. Their music is creative, conversational, and simple, yet genius. I’ve learned from them how to tell a story and how to showcase the song versus my voice. I used to feel like I didn’t sound good enough if I didn’t sing my heart out in every single line, but these artists have taught me that the performance and emotion of each line is more important than being pitch perfect. I actually love the dynamic of a raw, odd, and even flat or sharp note if you can hear and feel the emotion behind it.

Carrie Underwood is a big one for me, too. I respect her privacy, her family life, her marriage, her openness about her faith, her drive, and of course her angelic and powerful voice.

And everything Dolly. Enough said!

CN: Last year you released your debut single “Half the Man” which was in honor of your father. Written alongside Josh Matheny and Erik Halbig, what inspired you to write a song about your dad?

JS: My sister and I share a very close bond with our dad and I’ve always wanted to express that in a song. I’ve actually written a song or two about him in the past, but it never turned out the way I wanted it to. The day we wrote “Half the Man”, I mentioned that I would love to write a song about my dad and/or future husband. We tossed around some ideas, and every line in that song describes my dad perfectly. My dad really did fix my bike, my car, and my broken heart. He taught me how to fish and is so strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. He has held and comforted me during the toughest and hardest times and he’s worked so hard and diligently for our entire family. He’s just the greatest dad.

Fun fact… I have hysterically cried at every father-daughter song I’ve heard and every father-daughter dance I’ve seen at weddings my entire life, but ever since I wrote “Half the Man” I haven’t cried once hearing those kinds of songs. I would be interested in learning the psychology behind this, but it seems like I was able to express all of my emotions and pour my heart and soul into this song. It was extremely healing for me.

CN: You have a new single coming out this month – “Can’t Have Mine” – which you recently teased on TikTok to over 220,000 followers! Can you tell us a little bit about the track?

JS: “Can’t Have Mine” is about being in relationship with someone who doesn’t value your time and commitment, but being strong enough to leave and realize you deserve more than half of someone’s love. It’s emotional, yet empowering.

CN: “Can’t Have Mine” was written by you, Shelby Darrall and Noby Sides. Can you take us through your songwriting process?

JS: This was the first time Shelby, Noby, and I had all three written together, so we had no idea what to expect. As most songwriting sessions go, we started off getting to know each other, which quickly turned into vulnerability about our personal lives because, you know, that’s what you do when you write songs. Shelby had the idea, “you took your time, now you can’t have mine”, which was inspired by a guy in her life who didn’t value her or her commitment to him. Noby and I loved the idea, so we went with it and started pouring out lyrics, melodies, and ideas. It was easy for me to personally relate to this song because of what I’ve experienced in past relationships, so it came naturally to remember how that felt and I was able to pour those emotions into the song.

CN: If you could collaborate with any one artist, who would it be?

JS: This is the toughest question because I have a laundry list of artists I’d love to collaborate with, but one at the top of my list is Dierks Bentley. We are both from Arizona, we both love everything aviation (I have tons of pilots in my family), and we are obviously both in country music. To be able to write, record a duet, tour, and fly with Dierks would be the ultimate dream.

CN: What was the first concert you ever attended?

JS: First concert ever was Black Eyed Peas and Gwen Stefani in 2005. First country concert was Tim & Faith’s Soul2Soul tour, also in 2005.

CN: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be and why?

JS: Devoted. I am very devoted to the people and things I am passionate about, like my family, my friends, my faith, and my career. I always strive to be the best version of myself, even when I come up short sometimes.

CN: What’s next on the horizon for you? Where can fans catch you – either in person or online?

JS: Since touring is still pretty uncertain right now, I am writing a lot and preparing to record some new tunes. I can’t wait to share them with the world!

The best way to keep up with me and any announcements of shows and new music is through my social media! I am on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (@JenniferSmestadOfficial), YouTube, and Snapchat. I am most active on TikTok and Instagram! @JenniferSmestad

For more information on Jennifer Smestad, visit her website at www.jennifersmestad.com