Riley Smith, ‘I’m on Fire’ [Exclusive Premiere]

Actor and singer-songwriter Riley Smith is premiering his new song “I’m on Fire” exclusively for readers of The Boot. Press play below to listen.

Fans of CMT’s Nashville might recognize Smith: He played brooding rocker-turned-country singer Markus Keen during the show’s fourth season (when it was still on ABC). Smith has also made appearances on HBO's True Blood and True Detective, and has a leading role on the CW's Frequency.

During his time on Nashville, Smith recorded four songs that were released as part of the show’s soundtrack; now, he’s preparing to release his first project as an artist himself. "I'm on Fire," Smith tells The Boot is about the time he's spent on the road -- specifically, it's "the story of one of the many times I just needed to go home."

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""I'm on Fire" exemplifies the synergy I found while living in Nashville: Tim Lauer was producing my music for the show Nashville, and then set us up on a co-write with Mathew Perryman Jones, who I had been a fan of for a long time,” Smith shares. “The three of us sat down, and the premise just flowed out of us. Working with them was effortless, yet deep and meaningful; within a few hours of our write, we had perfectly captured my tone and sound."

“I’m on Fire” will appear on Smith’s forthcoming self-titled debut EP, which is set for release on July 21 and was produced by Kevin Leach; it's the record's lead single. Smith describes the project as "loner music."

"There’s a common theme of distance and space running through the EP," Smith says. "I want the EP to hopefully transcend to anyone who's ever felt alone."

Visit RileySmithOfficial.com for more information.

Listen to Riley Smith, "I'm on Fire":