Elisa Smith

When Garth Brooks invites you on stage to play a song, you play a song! Elisa met Garth when she attended a talk he and Trisha Yearwood were giving at Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A student at the time, Elisa was studying the neurological effects music has on the brain. During the talk, Garth mentioned that he still gets nervous before he performs and this resonated with her - she loved to perform, but struggled with stage fright. During the Q&A portion at the end, Elisa raised her hand and asked him how he overcomes his nerves when he's on stage. After asking her name, and what kind of music she plays, he invited her on stage to play a song. After the performance, Garth gave her his guitar (the one she plays with now) and told her to sing her heart out. And that's what she's been doing ever since.
 
After Elisa was "baptized by fire" by Garth Brooks, she returned to her roots. She began writing and performing with an unquenchable ferocity. Her songs elicit feelings of nostalgia, pride, wanderlust, heartbreak, and good ol' fashioned boot-stompin' mischief and her sound has been likened to Loretta Lynn meets The Rolling Stones. In 2018, she released her debut EP, "Hitch A Ride." Featuring Grammy-winning and platinum-status talent, the 6-song EP was produced by Johnny Duke (Little Big Town, Miranda Lambert, and Chris Stapleton).

She released her first full length album "Baptized By Fire" in 2022. Produced by Caleb Gilbreath (Brett Eldredge, Mandi Sagal) and Eddie Bayers (Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson), the album tells the story of redemption through love, family, and faith. Her most recent EP, Spirit on the Run, was released this year.

Nominated for two BMAs for Country Artist of the Year, two New England Music Award for Country Artist of the Year, and referred to as "Boston's Honky Tonk Country Queen" and "one of the best original country acts in New England," she has been featured on The Bull, Country 102.5, and indie radio stations across the country. She's headlined and performed at festivals throughout New England, performed all over Nashville and internationally, played on local television, and she has been featured in WBUR's the ARTery, HarvardEd Magazine, and music blogs from around the world.

It's been a wild ride, but Elisa is just warming up.