In 20 years, Dallas Smith has gone from an – admittedly unexpected – platinum selling rocker, to one of Canada’s most in-demand and celebrated country music stars. The journey from point A to point B was not without its twists and turns. “It was a sink or swim kind of deal for myself,” begins Smith, reminiscing on the 20th anniversary of his rock-outfit Default’s platinum selling album The Fallout. 

“In September ‘99, I just started singing with that band. I’d never sung in front of anybody before, just goofing around. And then like two years later we had a platinum record in the US, which is just insanity.”

Reflecting on those still-green days as a much-demanded frontman – Default’s breakout single Wasting My Time rocketed up the charts across the globe – and Smith admits there were lessons and truths he has since learned he wished he was armed with then.

“It was an amazing time in my life, I just wish that I had a bit more of an ease into it where I could have, as a front guy, as a vocalist, I could hit the ground running a little bit more as opposed to just like, f**k, here you go,” he shares candidly.

“It was an incredibly wild, unpredictable, adventurous time that I had with some really good friends and I made some great friends along the way. And it really taught me a lot,” he shared.

He’s gained knowledge about the business side of things, he added, and learned things about himself along the way. “I’ve learned not just about the business but who I am in the music business and what am I willing to take on and what’s important to me and the balance of family life.”

The life of a rocker

The life of a rocker – then or now – is far from easy, as Smith admits the life of a road-warrior took its toll early and often.

“I was married during the early parts of the Default stuff. We were gone for like three months and then we were home for a week and then gone for four months. That’s just the way it was pre-social media and pre all these other ways to market. All of that stuff falls victim in the name of your career. It’s those kinds of lessons that I think, not only about the music business, but about how to survive as a human through this. I take everything from that time of my life.”

Fast-forward to 2022, and Smith is a chart-topping country-music star and a multi-time CCMA winner, including 2021 wins for Entertainer and Single of the Year.

Smith credits his Default days for helping him acclimatize to the, honestly, more rock-based era of country music we find ourselves in today.

“The sounds of rock, what I liked and what I loved, it was a little more few and far between on rock radio and stuff. And honestly it was a natural transition for me to go back to a lot more of the guitar driven stuff and a lot of that was in country music,” Smith shared.

“If you look at the country festivals now, it’s what the rock festivals looked like 15, 20 years ago. It’s the same kids I’m playing to… It’s all guitar driven, beer drinking, let’s go have fun music. That’s just always kind of what I’ve really been into. I always loved music that pulled at the heartstrings and told a great story. And I mean, that’s country music. You just line up a great voice with a great story. And it’s all organic musically. I feel way more at home here more so than ever.”

Back to The Rock

Smith heads back to ‘The Rock’ on his cross-Canada Some Things Never Change Tour alongside James Barker Band, Jojo Mason, Shawn Austin, Kelly Prescott and Manny Blu, touching down at Mary Brown’s Centre on June 14th.

“That’s a great part of the country, man. I love being out there. Don’t get out there enough. I always say that,” Smith admits, preparing fans for the festival-esque lineup that will descend on St. John’s in short order.

“We’re pumped to have this many artists on this bill. I’m friends with a lot of these artists, most of them. We’ve all been sitting around doing nothing. So it’s time for a lot of us to get back to work. And it was nice to be able to put a package together like this show has a lot of musicians, a lot of artists, a lot of crew and get back out there and make the most of it. It serves us well, but I think it also serves the fans well too. You buy a ticket and you’re getting a big lineup.”

Expect surprises and – most importantly – the return of the power of live music on show-night, Smith shares. Because, whether tearing the house down at a rock show or kickin’ it country, Dallas Smith always delivers. Some things, do indeed, never change.

“We’re just going to get up there and have fun and hopefully we can see and we can feel that pent up release that needs to be happening from music fans because we definitely are feeling it here and can’t wait to go out.”

For more tickets and more information on Smith and the June 14th tour date visit: dallassmithmusic.com and marybrownscentre.com

 Country music’s JoJo Mason is set to hit the stage at the Mary Brown’s Centre on June 14th along with Dallas Smith, Kelly Prescott and James Barker Band, but what’s on his mind most happens this August: he becomes a dad

Multi-Platinum award winning country star Dallas Smith has announced the details for his long-awaited return to the road with the 2022 Some Things Never Change Tour with James Barker Band and special guest Meghan Patrick plus emerging country artists Shawn Austin, JoJo Mason, Kelly Prescott, and Manny Blu. 

 The Herald caught Jojo Mason minutes before he hit the road for the 8th show on this tour. What are you looking forward to most as you’re getting on that bus? We asked. 

“Finally getting the chance to do something that I love to do. I never thought I would find something that I love as much as I do music. And you really feel that when you go on a two year hiatus, right? From not performing to now getting back on stage, we will never take this for granted again,” he said. 

Is there a song he’s most looking forward to performing?  “You know what? Now that I’m going to be a dad, I always dedicate my song to my son. I used to always dedicate (Better On You) to my beautiful wife. I always love playing Better On You. It’s one of my favourite songs that I’ve ever put out and I’m all about love and good vibes.”

That song, he added, captures his mood. “It especially captures the way that I feel about my lady. So now I love playing that song because not only does it remind me of her now, but also my little baby, too.” 

His son, due August 27, is a gift he never knew he wanted, he added sweetly.  

“You know, it’s funny, because we had no plans on having a baby. And I’m not going to say it was a mistake, but it was a  whoops. And all of a sudden it was almost like something came over me and it was like, ‘I need to be in full dad mode.’ I’ve been planning everything since we found out we were pregnant. I picked out a name and we picked out a theme for the baby’s room. We started decorating before I left. I’m in full dad mode,” he laughed excitedly. 

Jojo’s had an interesting rise to country music. The former hockey player was literally at a party and filled with liquid courage, is how he tells the tale. 

 Will he encourage his son to follow in his footsteps? Will it be hockey practice or music lessons?

 “Both or whatever he wants to do. Honestly. I grew up playing so many different sports. I was so lucky growing up and I know what sports did for me. However, if my little guy wants to grow up and dance, I would support the heck out of that. If you want to grow up and get into science, I’m all, ‘heck, yeah!’ He wouldn’t have to do what Daddy does, you know. I’m just hoping that he’s healthy and he’s happy like his mama, you know?”

We ask about his transition to music from sports. 

 “Singing was not in my cards,” he shared openly.

“It was right place, right time. I ended up getting invited to a Christmas party… and I show up with this jar of moonshine because I went to the liquor store, and that was the coolest thing that I could find.”

He met a producer and, after a few drinks, they started chatting. Besides singing in the shower or in the car, he had never performed, he admitted, but he went for it.

“We had four top tens right out of the gate,” he said.

We ask who his musical influences are. His playlist is a mix-bag, he offered.  “You’d  find some Celine Dion. You’d find Boyz II Men.  You would find Brad Paisley. You would find Chris Stapleton,  Morgan Wallen. You would find Bruno Mars. Usher. I’m all about the old school vibes, the R&B vibes. But I’m also a country boy, too. I’m from Saskatchewan, so, you know, I gotta stay true to it.”  

Any message to Newfoundland fans as they preparing to head to the show? “Just make sure you show up because this is something you do not want to miss.” 

 It’s funny, he added, because he’s seen the show seven tines thus far and he’s still amazed each time.  “Every single time my jaw drops to the floor, I’m blown away. The people on this bill are so talented and I’m just grateful that I get to be a part of it.” 

  Mason, who now calls British Columbia home,  added that’s he’s super excited to be heading to Newfoundland. “We got some time to spend so I’m going to take it all in.” 

For more visit www.jojomasonmusic.com and for show tickets see  mbcentre.ca