Dallas Smith still can’t believe he spent part of September opening up for the Western Canada dates on Keith Urban’s ripCORD World Tour.
“It’s pretty amazing,” the Canadian country music star told iHeartRadio.ca.
“Keith Urban was one of those guys that helped bridge the gap from what I was doing to what I want to do now, and with having this thing come full circle and get the invite from Keith to do the tour… this one is going to stand out as one of the flagship tours I’ve ever done.”
Smith said Urban turned out to be just as nice as fans would imagine.
“I’ve met a lot of guys that I look up to that I wish I didn’t meet,” Smith said. “To meet Keith and to have him be just the guy that he is [was] an incredible experience. For him to involve me in his show, in front of my home fans…
“He’s an absolute class act.”
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Smith warmed up the crowd for Urban at arenas in Vancouver, Kelowna, Prince George, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon. He said he took full advantage of the opportunity to showcase his music.
“That’s the great thing about these tours. There are going to be people seeing me for the first time,” he explained, “and I want to take advantage on the big stage to show them what I can do and what I’m about as an artist.”
The tour came only weeks after the release of Smith’s third album, Side Effects.
The former Default frontman said he’s “as comfortable as you can be” during the process of putting together a new record.
“Certain songs, when you push boundaries a little bit, you’re not concerned but aware of the boundaries that you are pushing,” said Smith. “You wonder if those are going to be received well, so there’s that.
“But the record as a whole, I’m pretty proud of these songs and what we put together.”
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Smith said choosing singles from the album isn’t easy. “When you narrow it down to one song for radio, that’s a little nerve-wracking,” he admitted. “You just never know.”
Smith said he’s happy that “Autograph” is getting played (“We’ve been sitting on this song for a couple of years”) and that “Sky Stays This Blue” is a fan favourite (“I notice a lot of social media… a lot of young girls, that’s their song on the record”).
For “I’m Already Gone,” Smith looked to another country artist he admires.
“I have to channel my inner Tim McGraw on that one,” he said. “I just imagine what would Tim do with this song? That one I’m hoping will be a single later on.”
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The 38-year-old said he remembers the first time he heard one of his country songs on the radio.
“It was in the car,” Smith recalled. “Me and my wife were on our way down to a hockey game, to a Canucks game in Vancouver, and “Somebody Somewhere” came on.
“It was a special moment. It was pretty cool.”
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