Corey Smith

Though Corey Smith's countrified funky folk sounds like a hybrid of G. Love and Jack Johnson, he's written enough booze anthems in his short life to make George Jones proud. A Southerner through and through, Smith grew up in Jackson County, Ga., not far from Athens. While attending the University of Georgia (where he eventually earned a degree in education), the singer, songwriter and guitarist honed his musical chops. In 2002 Smith won a regional songwriting competition; free studio time was the grand prize. This opportunity resulted in his debut album, Undertones, which spawned the fan favorite "Twenty-One," a tune about college, youth and partying hard. With a budding career in music on the horizon, Smith struggled to juggle his day job as a high school teacher and a father's domestic responsibilities. Nevertheless, he became (and still is) a major concert draw throughout Georgia and the surrounding states, regularly playing for hordes of good folk who dig dancing and cheap brew. When it came time to sign with a label, Smith didn't. Instead, he started his own, Undertones Records. Since the release of his first record, he has dropped four more full-lengths and a live EP.