Granger Smith, also known as the infamous Earl Dibbles Jr., has certainly had a unique rise to stardom. His YouTube videos has had over 36 million views and with over 4 million internet followers, it has made him a must see across the country. When Granger brought his Yee Yee Nation tour to New England for his very first northeast appearances, it was a date circled on many calendars across the area, and New England Country Music got a chance to sit down with the young star.
With such high internet popularity, Granger couldn’t be more thankful for the doors that it has opened. “It’s been our only tool for a long time, before a record deal, before airplay, before TV, it was only social media. We were completely surviving on that, traveling the country playing shows with just YouTube and social media, it’s been more than an impact, it’s been a lifeline for us.” Not only has Granger found success with social media outlets, but recently iTunes dubbed his debut album ‘Dirt Road Driveway’ as one of the best albums of the 2000’s, and he says that it’s been nothing short of a dream come true. “When I made that record, I made it out of my house. The music before that wasn’t really heard, so everything that came from that was a surprise. When it debuted at #1 on iTunes, I woke up that morning of the release date and looked at my phone and honestly thought it was a mistake.”
More recently, Granger has signed with Wheelhouse Records, a division of the powerhouse record label Broken Bow Records, along with superstar Trace Adkins as the first two acts on the label, and to Smith it has been nothing less than great. “To be honest it hasn’t really set in yet, because ever since I signed things have happened so fast, so I’m very thankful to be a flagship artist because right now I’m in the spotlight. I’m the only one with the company that has a single out so they have been focusing a lot of attention on me, which is pretty cool.” Under that label is his most recent release, ‘4X4’, and things have been on the uphill since. “The only thing that has really changed since the release has been my first national single with ‘Backroad Song.’ So that song has put a big twist on everything, now radio has been a big component of what we do, we go to different cities. I’ve been flying in early and driving to venues on my own, before that I was always with the band every day.”
Brought in to help produce the latest album was legendary producer Frank Rogers, known for his work with Brad Paisley, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, and an extensive list accumulating in 28 No.1 songs, and Smith couldn’t praise higher of the producing guru. “Frank took a whole lot of strain off my shoulders because I was trying to do it all myself in the past. After the last album there was no way I could’ve put that much work into something all by myself and try to tour, so Frank was able to do a lot of the work himself as a producer. I was able to come in, write the songs, give him my input, record the track, leave, and he does a lot of work sending my bits on the road, so that I can do quick edits and send it back out. So it became a kind of teamwork that I definitely couldn’t have done without him.” Since this was his first ever appearance in the New England area, Granger was very relieved to finally get a chance to bring his tour this way. “I’ve been saying it for years that New England was going to be one of our best markets that we play and it’s taken this long to finally get a string of shows together up here. I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to compete with the upper midwest and the northwest as our top market.”
With the intense popularity of persona Earl Dibbles Jr., it came as a surprise that the national sensation began as home made video for some laughs. “Earl came about as just a video when we were trying to gain connection with people, so my brothers and I made the video to represent some of our family members. We did it out where my parents live and we didn’t plan on it being as big as it got, but we’ve been chasing it ever since. I’m grateful that he’s been able to go out and be a recruiter for me and people that don’t know about me when they hear Earl will find out soon enough. It’s been such a huge advocate for us.” Most famously known for the hillbilly catchphrase “Yee Yee,” Granger never would’ve guessed that it would take off like it did. “I always wanted to be a country music artist with a brand, kind of like Nike, and a lot of people laughed at me when I said stuff like that five years ago because you don’t associate music as a brand, but I’ve always wanted it to be. It came from the very first Earl video, when he shoots the gun for the first time and he says it, and people caught on to that. I remember the first time we saw it at a car dealership with big flags out that said “Yee Yee,” then it was time to trademark it.”
When you might find Earl Dibbles out shooting the gun, whittling the stick, or rattling for bucks, Granger has more in store to his every day. “On the weekends, it’s just shows. Wake up and we’re at the venue, watch some college football and play the show. On the weekdays we’re all over the place with different radio and television stations. No two days are the same, at home it’s very quiet and relaxing with the wife and kids.” If any of you have seen Granger across the country or his recent New England stretch, it’s certain that your favorite part of the show is his favorite part; “The very end when Earl runs out, with the cannons going off carrying a big American flag.”
Granger considers himself just getting started and looks at it in a unique way. “For ten years I’ve readied the field, now it feels like it’s just starting to rain. We’re just trying to pull in this harvest as much as we can as fast as we can while the sun is shining to get this thing done. Take the music as big as it can and see how far it can possibly go. We don’t want to limit ourselves to just being a regional band, we want to take ‘Yee Yee’ to the world.” After attending multiple shows along to New England run, it’s apparent that Granger’s harvest is as strong as ever, and there is no doubt that he will climb the rungs to stardom.