SmithField is a new country duo who have just released their self-titled EP to iTunes. The duo features Jennifer and Trey and in this new edition of Country Q&A you will get to know them better as both artists and people as they describe some of their influences, how they formed SmithField, how they came to choose their name and more.
RoughStock (Matt): How did you come to form the duo?
Jennifer: Trey and I have known each other since we were little kids. When we went to college — in the same area of Dallas — he reached out to me on Facebook and hadn’t heard me sing since we were 10 years old and asked to come over and sing. At first I was hesitant and I was doing my own thing but to not be rude as he was a family friend, I said, ‘yeah, come on over.’ And from that moment we sang, there was a unique blend and we became a duo.
How did you choose your name "SmithField?"
Trey: We actually spent about a month trying to think of a name and my last name is Smith and her last name is Fiedler so we decided that SmithField sounded like the obvious choice.
Jennifer: Yeah, we wanted something that was us and about us coming together and it’s our two names and it explains who we are.
Matt: Yeah and it’s always fun to hear how bands form their names because some, like yours, seems to have been easy while others are a bit harder...
Jennifer: A lot of people ask us if we were named after the ham company and we’re like no, “it’s just our name…”
Matt: How would you describe the dynamics of your vocal delivery?
Trey: I think it’s more about the blend. She has a more country sound while I’m more towards the rock and roll style so I think it makes for a unique blend, the bread and butter of what we do…
Matt: Like the Osmonds, a little bit country a little bit rock and roll…
Trey: Yeah I think Donny and Marie had it right (laughs).
Jennifer: There’s a natural chemistry on stage that came very early. It’s not forced and it’s just something that cannot be explained.
Matt: How did you go about choosing what song would be the introduction to the fans? How did “Good Ol’ Days” become that song?
Jennifer: It might’ve been technical to do it this way but it took us a few of years to figure out what sound we were going for and what we were going to do as a duo and when you think of guy girl duos you often expect love and relationship duets and it’s all about them two but we wanted to make its something different, something you wouldn’t expect from a girl/guy duo, which would be what Florida Georgia Line does, the party songs, and while ours has a little bit of that, we also have more depth to the whole record. We actually surveyed the fans who had been to one of our shows and wanted three words and three words were often used “fun,” “Fresh,” and “bright” and we wanted every song on the EP to fit at least one of those and “Good Ol Days” had all of that. It also features both of us singing and shows that there’s not one lead singer.
Matt: That’s probably a smart direction to avoid the “couple” label. And even though they have three members, Lady Antebellum has two main voices and everyone knows they’re not a couple. And it makes total sense to do what they did and not start off with 'love songs' so as to not confuse listeners.
Jennifer and Trey: Yeah!
Matt: How would you describe the rest of the EP?
Trey: It’s a good range of songs and they all have our sound but they’re all different stories. It’s not all about partying.
Jennifer: We have the songs which would hit the 16 and 17 year olds but we also have something that will hit a 50 and 60 year old on there as well.
Matt: Who are some of your musical influences?
Trey: Keith Urban was the country guy who brought me back after I mostly grew up listening to rock n roll and after seeing him at age 13, I was drawn to what he does and country music so he’s my major influence, especially right now.
Jennifer: It’s always what I wanted to do so I’ve got some older influences like Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes and later on Carrie Underwood was a major influence. Faith and LeAnn made me want to be a singer.
Matt:What one word would best describe country music to you…
Jennifer: Oh, one word? As songwriters it’s hard to explain!
Matt: Yeah, it’s meant to be something fun and make you think like that!
Trey: I’d use stories.
Jennifer: Yeah, I like that, that’s good!
Trey: That’s what country music is to me, there are stories to every song!
Jennifer: I’m stumped on one word!
Matt: Think about LeAnn Rimes and Faith Hill and what was it about their music that pulled you into country music...
Jennifer: When I was younger, after school while others wanted to go hang out with friends, I wanted to go home and listen to my boom box and as I got older it helped me get over breakups. It was free therapy! Therapy!
Matt: I’ve often joked all the time that country music and music in general has been my therapy!
Jennifer: Yeah!
Matt: Thanks for chatting with us today!
Trey: Thank you!
Jennifer: Thank you!
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You can connect with SmithField on their Twitter, Facebook, website or Instagram pages. You can buy their debut EP on Apple Music here. Read our review of the EP here.
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