John Smyths, also goes by Johan Smits, is a guy who spent his younger years headbanging to heavy metal, only to trade in the aggression for acoustic guitars and stories about heartbreak. After moving to Germany and cutting his teeth in studios and on stages, Smyths found his true calling in the storytelling tradition of Alan Jackson and George Strait.
“Growing wiser means knowing which dreams to keep and which ones shaped you.”
“Now I’M Wiser” is Smyths’ laying his cards on the table. The song took its sweet time coming together because he refused to release anything less than his best, a perfectionist streak that pays off in the final product. The premise is simple but effective: a dream where he’s sharing drinks with Johnny Cash, George Strait, and Alan Jackson, talking shop about whether country music still has a pulse.
There’s real affection in how he references his heroes, and you can tell this isn’t just name-dropping for credibility points. The guy genuinely loves this music, and that enthusiasm comes through in every line. If you’ve been searching for country music that respects the genre’s roots, “Now I’M Wiser” is worth your time. Let Smyths remind you why storytelling still matters in a genre that sometimes forgets to tell stories.
Muse Chronicle 
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