Zachariah Smith Talks Music, Touring, and His Next Chapter
Singer shares his “American Idol” journey and talks about his highly anticipated debut album.
Written by Amanda Tempel
Amanda: We've got a lot to talk about! You are a very busy person, but before we dive in, I want to tell our listeners all about you because they will recognize your voice from when you were on American Idol, and we're going to dive all into that. So much to talk about! But let's go back to the very beginning. Has music always been a part of your life?
Zachariah: Oh yeah. I think I found out I could sing when I was maybe 5 or 6. We were watching that movie “Coal Miner's Daughter” and I watched it like 5 times. After about the fifth time, I finally knew some of the songs that were in it. I just started singing. My mom was like, ‘What in the world is going on here?’
She replayed it and I sang it again. Then she found out I could sing. Then I started in church, and I've been doing it ever since.
Amanda: That's pretty early to start out! What kind of music were you listening to growing up? Were you all over the place or did you have certain formats?
Zachariah: We listened to the radio a lot because radio was huge in the early 2000s. A lot of Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts, and that's what I grew up on.
Amanda: You decided to take it a little bit further with “American Idol.” What made you decide ‘This is want I want to do’?
Zachariah: Well, it's funny because I always watched “American Idol” when I was a kid. Being one of the biggest TV shows in the early 2000s, it came right out of nowhere, and Kelly Clarkson had won. It escalated from there. I started watching around the time Scotty McCreery auditioned and that was one of those moments where I was like ‘Okay, I'm going to do this at some point in my life. This is going to happen, and this is what I'm going to do, and this is going to kick off my whole career.’ That's what I had in my mind since I was 7 years old.
Amanda: You had the confidence already from a young age!
Zachariah: I used to pretend - I used to put the ‘Idol’ music on my phone - and pretend that Ryan (Seacrest) would call.
Amanda: You decide to try out - where did you go try out at?
Zachariah: They actually used to do the in-person auditions where you do it at the tent. I did do that when I was 15 years old. It was my first audition. I sang a Dan + Shay song - they gave me like 2 minutes and then I got my wristband cut off. But I was too young, of course. I waited about 6 or 7 years and tried again. I did it on Zoom. There's a couple Zoom rounds that you go through. Then, I went to Nashville and auditioned for the judges.
Amanda: You get the audition. You get to the show. Was it surreal for you?
Zachariah: Oh yeah! We went into the lobby - ‘Idol’s’ everywhere. They've got all of their stuff everywhere - camera crews left and right, at every corner. They took me up to one of the highest floors. You can go to the hotel that we were doing the auditions in. When I walked out, they put us in this little waiting area, and I saw Ryan Seacrest coming down on a skateboard. It just snapped. And it was like ‘this just became real. This is about to happen. I'm about to walk into that.’
Amanda: It's certainly changed your life.
Zachariah: I was so nervous.
Amanda: When you were thinking about the songs you wanted to perform on the show, what was the thought process?
Zachariah: It's funny because I actually did a lot of rock and roll on the show. I sang a John Mellencamp song “Hurt So Good”. I had auditioned with that when I originally auditioned for that season.
I sang “Tennessee Whiskey” for my original audition. And they were like, ‘Yeah, it's a great song. We love it. It takes us about a week to get back to you.’
And I knew at that moment they're going to tell me no. I'm not ready to accept that. I feel like this is my year. I was like, ‘What can they not say no to?’
So, I picked the Mellencamp song, and sure enough, they were like, ‘Where have you been? Why have we not found you?’ It was crazy!
Amanda: Then you go through the whole show - any favorite moment from that experience?
Zachariah: Wow, that’s a big question. Yeah, because there's a lot of big moments. You've got celebrities at every corner that you turn, and you're trying to take it all in and learn and just have fun. I would say the biggest thing that I really loved was Hollywood week. I actually got to sit by Lionel by the judge's table.
Amanda: A little name dropping there – Lionel Richie!
Zachariah: In between commercial breaks we talked back and forth, and it was really cool. It was so cool because it's not every day you get to sit beside Lionel Richie and just have a normal conversation.
Amanda: I know there are a lot of mentors and celebrity guests on the show - who were the guests on your season?
Zachariah: Keith Urban was a mentor. I've actually got a picture with him - he's a great guy. Fantastic guy. We also had Jelly Roll and Lainey Wilson on my season. We had a bunch of different people. Noah Cyrus came on. That was really cool. They were great mentors, and they all gave great hands-on advice.
Amanda: With “American Idol,” you are now exposed to millions of people all over the world and that could be overwhelming. How did you handle it? All of a sudden, there are people talking about you on the internet that you don't know and they're critiquing your performance. That has to be a whole new world to experience. How do you handle it? I imagine there'd be some pressure there.
Zachariah: It definitely was. I felt the pressure kicking in the night that our auditions were all airing. I have maybe 10,000 followers, somewhere around there, the night that my audition aired on TV. I think we gained over 40,000 followers and it all just started coming in. Our phones were going crazy. At that point the pressure was on. Even before I got to Hollywood, the pressure was on.
Amanda: It’s a lot to take in. Social media is kind of part of the job when you're an artist. I think there's kind of that balance between, ‘Okay, I'm an artist. I want to perform my music. But also, I've got to be entertaining and be this personality.’ It's like you've got to combine all of that these days.
Zachariah: Yeah, you do. It's different. It's really crazy because I really wasn't a social media guy before auditioning for “American Idol.” I've learned now that if this is what you want to do, you got to get out there. Honestly, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, are one of the biggest ways to get out there. Consider that you post a video, you wake up, you have millions of views. That is your “American Idol.” And I feel like that's what a lot of people don't realize. You can use it to your advantage.
Amanda: Following “American Idol” - you landed in the top 10 for your season - how did you navigate what you wanted to do next? Because I'm sure there are different opportunities depending which direction you want to go.
Zachariah: That's a great question. Well, I always knew that I wanted to song write and before “American Idol,” I wasn't really writing as much. When I got off, I was like, ‘Okay, we're going to write songs. We're going to get all of our connections. We're going to meet people. We're going to stay on the road; we're going to just outreach and do whatever we can to continue to build on this momentum.’
I met with a lot of different record labels. Some deals really weren't the best. I'd rather just stay independent, and I think that was a good move to make because I've been able to perform pretty much wherever anybody wants to have me. And it's great because the fan base that I have, I would not trade the world for it. They are devoted. They are diehard - they're just the best.
We've been songwriting. I got to sing with Foreigner coming off of the show. Phil Carson actually called me. Keep in mind this is the guy that signed AC/DC, Def Leppard, all these ‘80s bands. He calls me and he's like, ‘Hey, the guys love what you did on the show. They want you to come sing with them.’
That was a lot to take in. I got to sing with them and that was a big moment. After that I was like, ‘Wow, this is really happening. It's all really happening.’
Amanda: All of those dreams that you had since you were a child! It's getting real and you're getting all these opportunities and you're getting to play all these shows. I know this summer you are super busy. You are all over the place. Tell us about this tour you're doing.
Zachariah: Yeah, absolutely. I'm really excited to talk about the tour. This is my first big headlining tour, and this is the Coming Home Tour. I'm originally from Wabash, Indiana, and I live in Mississippi now, but Wabash is my hometown. We are actually playing Eagles Theater on December 19, and it's going to be the biggest show of the year. We're really excited about that one, but right now we're starting at the bottom of southern Indiana and we're working our way up.
Amanda: When someone sees you perform - your musical influences, they range all over the place. What can they expect from one of your shows?
Zachariah: You're going to see an artist who is really in tune with his emotions. I've got a lot of stories to tell because I've been through a lot. I think we've all got our stories, but at the end of the day, when words can't speak, music will. And I think that's what people figure out when they come to my show. But you won't leave disappointed - that never happens.
Amanda: That’s the greatest reaction you could possibly have! As far as your music goals, what's up next for you? Besides touring, what are you looking to do?
Zachariah: Right now, we've got a highly anticipated album that we've been talking about for two years coming off of the show. As I started writing these songs, I was like, ‘This is going to be a bigger album than what I thought it was going to be.’ We've got Kent Wells who is a big producer in Nashville. He's actually Dolly Parton's main producer. If you looked at the roster of this guy, he has worked with Cody Johnson and Willie Nelson. You name it, he's done it. Right now, we are currently working on the first studio album, and we are actually looking for corporate sponsors to maybe help go in with that. We've got different packages that are offered with that as well. We are focused on this album and on the Indiana Tour. Next year, we have another tour that's coming out. I can't share any of that information yet, but there's a really big tour!
Amanda: That is very exciting! And when that album is done, you’ve got to come back and talk with us again! Tell our followers where they can find your music.
Zachariah: Oh, absolutely! If you want to go check out my music, you can find any of my music anywhere. You can also follow me on social media at Real Zachariah Smith. It is an ‘H’ - Zach with an ‘H.’ You can find me on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, wherever you listen to music.
Amanda: Thank you so much for being here!
Zachariah: Thank you for having me.
For tour dates, fan club information, and news - be sure to visit Zachariah Smith’s website.
Across The Country With Amanda
Listen to Across The Country With Amanda, a weekly syndicated radio program featuring the legends you love, and the best in today’s country! Hear exclusive interviews and get the latest country music news. Find a station near you here.
Country Music News
Listen to the Podcast
Zachariah Smith reflects on his American Idol experience, musical influences, and the road ahead as he headlines his first major tour and works on new music.