Landon Smith talks The Ragdoll, emotional songwriting and his first European festival
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Written by Lauren Page | @LiveWithLP
For most artists, playing their first European festival would be enough to celebrate. For Landon Smith, the same day also happened to be release day for his brand-new single The Ragdoll.
Catching up with LiveWithLP backstage at State Fayre in Essex just hours before taking to the stage, the American singer-songwriter was understandably buzzing. Between joking about misunderstood lyrics, talking poetic songwriting and teasing what's next, it was clear this wasn't just another stop on the tour schedule – it was a milestone.
"Release day, baby!" he laughed. "The best kind of day."
Of course, there was only one place to start.
The Ragdoll has already caught my attention and I HAD to bring it up..
"I believe there's a line that says, 'throw me against the wall like a ragdoll,'" I laughed. "Are you the new Riley Green with the spicy lyrics?"
To which he immediately burst out laughing.
"When I wrote that, it didn't mean to be dirty," he admitted. "Then I showed my friends the song and they've been ripping jokes ever since. It was supposed to be sentimental and nice!"
Thankfully, his biggest supporter hasn't spotted anything questionable.
"My mom's favourite song is The Ragdoll. I don't think she even noticed it."
While the internet might have turned one lyric into a running joke, the song itself represents something bigger.
Alongside recent releases including Lambda and Supertramp, Smith feels like he's entering a new creative chapter where storytelling takes centre stage.
"Writing only gets better with time," he explained. "Some of these songs are newer, some have been sitting on the back burner for a while, but lyrically I really wanted to highlight.. I'm not an artist, I'm a poet who plays guitar."
Naturally, that earned an immediate response.
"He's a poet and he knows it!"
Laughing, Smith continued: "There you go. It's definitely less about party songs and drinking now. It's more like I actually have something to say."
It's a philosophy that fits perfectly with country music, a genre built on storytelling.
"I'd say it's the best genre to tell stories," he said.
When asked whether there are still personal experiences he's yet to write about, Smith admitted he's usually an open book creatively, although one idea has recently caught his imagination.
"There's this story about a guy who stole an aeroplane up in Alaska... or Washington State," he said. "I don't know it too well yet, but apparently there's a documentary about it. I want to go home and watch it because I think it'd make a really cool song."
From heartfelt ballads to aviation history? Somehow, it made perfect sense.
His first ever European performance naturally came with plenty of anticipation.
"I'm really excited," he said. "Back home, you never know what's going to happen. You couldn't draw a Landon Smith fan – there's a million different kinds of them. Hopefully it's the same here."
He was also curious to see if British crowds could keep up.
"I'm excited to see how engaged they are, and if they drink more beers than I do on stage."
Having recently returned from Nashville, I mentioned one thing that almost every American country artist says after playing the UK – British audiences might be quieter between songs, but they're incredibly attentive.
Smith admitted he'd already heard exactly the same thing.
"They were telling me here and Australia that country music is huge," he said. "It's hotter than hell and y'all are wearing boots! I'm in Birkenstocks right now. You won't catch me in boots until I'm on stage."
Boots and Birks might just become country's next fashion trend.
With new music arriving steadily throughout the year and a full record on the horizon, Smith was understandably careful not to give too much away.
"You saw the fear in my eyes there," he laughed after almost revealing more than he should.
What he could say was that fans should expect the same thoughtful songwriting that's become his trademark.
"It's definitely more on the poetic side," he explained. "A lot of these songs I've been writing with my band. We've been together since high school, so when we play them live they have just as much emotional attachment to them as I do. It's a really good vibe all around."
Before wrapping up, I asked Smith one final question I ask every artist: who's someone fans should be listening to?
He didn't hesitate.
"My buddy Ben Bates," he said. "We went to college together. Absolutely insane songwriter. Great guitar player, great singer.. quite handsome too, if I must say."
Consider that recommendation added straight to the playlist.
With a brand-new single, a debut European festival appearance and a full record on the way, State Fayre felt less like an introduction and more like the beginning of something.
If The Ragdoll is anything to go by, Landon Smith's next chapter isn't about chasing viral moments or writing party anthems. It's about telling stories that stick with people long after the final chorus.
And perhaps avoiding any more accidental double entendres along the way.
The Ragdoll by Landon Smith is out now