KC Johns – Smoke Show

By starrymag | May 1, 2025

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Country/Rock

Q) Your voice has been described as sort of a mixture of Miranda Lambert and Sheryl Crow. Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Both Sheryl and Miranda are my favorites. I grew up on everything from rock n’ roll Zeppelin to 90s country.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Smoke Show.”

A) Wrote this song with Tim Baumgartner, Tim Angsten and Colin Cross. This song was written for the girls. It’s about confident women who can own a room and encourage more women to be confident in who they are! Because they are all straight up “smoke shows!”

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think it’s because women WANT to support more women.

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) We shot content for this song in a cool spot in Nashville called the paper house. The cool vintage, rock vibes really play on my style of music.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Lately, I’ve been writing with the boys in the band, so we’ve been aiming for rock n’ roll guitar licks. I’ll usually bring in an idea for a song, our guitar player Tim B. will usually start with some cool guitar hooks and our bass player Tim A. is a master at creating catching hooks. So, we make a pretty good team!

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) Lately, Smith Curry has been producing most of our tracks and I’ve loved working with him as he really listens to what I want. High energy, rock n’ roll with some country sounds whether it’s steel or banjo to add to the rock. Smith & I work great together!

 

Q) Your single “Rodeo Queen” was selected for Top 10 Songs in Texas by Texas CMA and reached nearly a million streams across platforms. How does that make you feel?

A) It’s been a wild ride to watch this song relate to so many people. It started with just a love song about my parents that turned into this rodeo niche – I’m grateful and blessed people love the song just as much as I do.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

A) YESS! We are hoping for a full record in Feb 2026!

Q) You are a great live performer! Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) Thank you, first off! Lately, I’ve love performing at festivals with other bands because we get to be a part of the community and create new fans. Texas has also been one of my favorite places to perform. It’s tough to pick just one because I also love Wisconsin fans & Key West fans.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) Sheryl Crow, hands down.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) Socials are bittersweet for me. It’s a ton of work, BUT you get to connect in a way to folks that wasn’t a thing back then. I do love the way socials have evolved and how we’re able to connect from across the world.