Your Smith performs at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Sept. 7 2019. Chloe Catajan/Staff.

Caroline Smith has made music for as long as she can remember.

Her early teen years were spent as a solo singer-songwriter. But in the mid- to late-2000s, the formation of her band Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps came into the picture. In 2008 the indie folk group had released its first full-length album, and produced three more within the decade. 

But recently, Smith decided it was time for a fresh start; to clean the slate and reshape her musical identity. She wanted to leave behind old reputations and make way for a new opportunity. 

And that she surely did.

“I was struggling to find my footing, my voice as an artist,” Smith said in a call two days ago. “I wanted a ‘fresh Google search,’ is what I always say.” 

That was all before she moved to Los Angeles, her current home, and launched solo project Your Smith.

Now on the cusp of her latest tour, Your Smith is excited to share her latest project with the world.

“I’ve just been so psyched and sort of beside myself about how many shows have been selling out,” Smith said. “That’s not really anything I’ve ever experienced, so I’m just so grateful and so excited to pull up to a venue knowing that it’s full of people that want to be there; that connect with the songs. That’s the most exciting part—to finally get to go out and connect with the people who are connecting with me.”

Your Smith released her second EP, Wild Wild Woman, in late 2019. She said that compared with her debut EP, Bad Habit, this project exemplifies more of who she is and who she wants to be as both an artist and a person.

“When I first came out with Your Smith’s music, I was still kind of figuring her out, figuring out what her message fully was,” Smith said. “I didn’t want to overthink it, I just wanted to fit into it and let her grow on her own.”

Wild Wild Woman unleashes Smith’s soul and electro-pop influences, and Smith said its tone and lyrics certainly reflect a more unapologetic and braver evolution. The EP’s namesake especially brings out these qualities. Smith said the song was written in honor of generations of women before her.

“The ‘Wild Wild Woman’ song comes from that, just sheer abandonment of what other people might want from me,” Smith said. The song’s message is a shoutout to women all around who feel like they are being shushed. [It’s] an act of encouragement for them to let go of everything they’ve been keeping inside, to finally show who they really are unapologetically.”

Now, Smith’s vision is solely set on getting on the road and living in the current moments, rather than jumping ahead to what’s next.

“The music industry changes so fast now, that the plan you make today could be like a dinosaur plan in six months,” Smith said. “So I just try to stay present, try to keep content coming out, keeping it genuine and quality and focus on making it the best.”

But most importantly, the Minnesota native looks forward to performing in Minneapolis to her hometown crowd.

“I always love going back to my hometown in Minneapolis,” Smith said. “The hometown love is just a different kind of love.”

Follow writer Amelia Parreira at Twitter.com/AmeliaParreira.