Joanna Smith Gets Her Feet Wet With ‘Georgia Mud’

When it came to her second single, Joanna Smith just didn't want to write another song about Georgia.

It's not that she doesn't appreciate her small town upbringing in Crestview, but since she'd arrived in Nashville it seemed every co-writer she'd worked with wanted to tap into her Georgia background. When she began to work with co-writers Jim McCormick and Aaron Scherz, Joanna was a bit disappointed when they mentioned her home state.

"When you work with co-writers, they want to write something that identifies you, they want to write about you," Joanna tells The Boot, reflecting on the writing session that resulted in the single 'Georgia Mud' off her upcoming debut album. "That's not what I wanted to do, but when one of them said 'bare feet hangin' off a tire swing,' I thought about the tire swing I had when I was young. I loved it! That's one reason I love this song."

The song not only gives insight into Joanna's life, but it also sets the tone for the other songs on the upcoming release and her overall approach to music.

"I'm very country and I listen to a lot of pop," Joanna says. "I want to keep it fresh. With me, country instincts combined with very cool sounds translate well into today's country music. I hope to reach those that like the country sound that appeals to Taylor Swift's audience."

Although Joanna grew up with a songwriting father, she never really had time to write extensively write her own music until she moved to Nashville.

"I always was a journalist and wrote for a farm magazine and wrote sports articles," she says. "I just never put my music and writing together. My mom was focused on me being well rounded, so between church and [acting in] plays and other activities, there was no time for that creative process."

Once Joanna arrived in Nashville, knowing only family friend Luke Bryan, she set her sights on writing as a way to break into the music business.

"That's how Luke did it," she says. "I finally realized this was something I could do. I built my circle and met more and more co-writers and wrote better and better songs, and was signed to a publishing deal. When you love what you do, it makes it easy."

To hear 'Georgia Mud," go to Joanna's website.