Ty Smith: Rising Star and Josie Music Awards Nominee
Ty Smith & the Minor Offenses are a red dirt and southern rock band from the heart of Oklahoma. They just finished performing at the Country Drive Live music festival in Ashland, Nebraska. It doesn’t stop there because they have many more upcoming events all over the country.
Ty Smith has been playing drums since he could walk. Once he learned the guitar he was inspired to write his first song at the age of 13. Immersed in music from an early age, his grandparents owned Sandite Billiards and Grill in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Red dirt legend Kaitlin Butts performed there when it was still family-owned. “It’s what I did after school,” Smith recalled.
Ty fondly remembers attending shows after school, only to return the next day for more. Another notable artist who performed there was Dylan Stewart. Known for his songwriting, Smith believes Stewart doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves, which inspired him to cover Stewart’s song, “The Deed”. “He’s someone in the Tulsa scene I’ve admired musically,” Smith said. “I wanted more people to know who Dylan Stewart is, and it’s worked great so far.”
“I didn’t think I’d be touring at 15 or 16 years old,” Smith said. Ty's father, Mike Smith, quit his job at 46 to help Ty pursue his dream. “I’m just glad he’s doing what he loves to do,” Mike said. Together, they travel across the country, performing both as a solo act and with the band. The band includes Brian Thompson on drums, Doug Welch on lead guitar, Kirt Bender on bass guitar, and Ty Smith on rhythm guitar and vocals.
“I don’t put myself in a box while I’m writing.”
Currently, Ty is the sole songwriter for the band. “I enjoy writing,” he said. When asked to describe his sound, he preferred not to label it. Combining elements of red dirt, Texas country, folk, and southern rock, Ty Smith creates a unique sound. Describing his songwriting process, he likened it to cooking spaghetti: “Something ‘sticks to the wall,’ and I continue writing it.”
"Monsters" was the first song written by Ty Smith in collaboration with Joel Rueban from Nashville. “It’s one I love playing with the band to this day,” Smith said. This powerful track delves into the struggle of battling the monsters in your head and surviving each day. Another notable song, "Lost and Found", was co-written with Bryce Dicus.
"Words I Should’ve Said" is a song Ty Smith describes as expressing the regret of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. While Smith acknowledges that everyone may interpret the song differently, he crafted it with this particular sentiment in mind. Smith also reminds us there isn’t a handbook on writing music and how to be successful. “The only way to know if it’s right for you is to just do it.” Smith said.
Ty Smith & the Minor Offenses will be going to Nashville in the fall to record another album. “The project will lean towards 90s country honky tonk.” Smith said. They plan on releasing a few singles before the whole album to ‘test the waters.’ He recalls having an album release show this last March, in his hometown at The Venue Shrine. “Hometown shows are always fun,” Smith said.
“Seeing everybody we see day to day out supporting us is a different kind of feeling.”
Another reason they are heading back to Nashville is because of the Josie Music Awards. This is an organization honoring independent music of all forms and genres. “Our management team put our names in without us knowing,” Smith said. Ty Smith has been nominated for Adult Male Artist of the Year. The Josie Music Awards will take place this July.
To book Ty Smith and the Minor Offenses for your next show, contact Loud and Heavy Booking email us at megan.loudandheavybooking@gmail.com. To find out where they’ll be next, check out https://tysmithandtheminoroffenses.com/.
Find more bands like Ty Smith at www.loudandheavybooking.com.
