Noah Smith highlights ongoing battle with single "Cigarettes and Jesus"

Country music has always had an internal battle between Jesus and vices like alcohol and smoking. Noah Smith’s latest single “Cigarettes and Jesus” takes on the topic head-on Friday, March 6, with its release.

“This song is about that battle of two things pulling you in different directions,” Smith said. “I can’t tell you how many times I have woken up in the back of a van in a parking lot and then led worship on Sunday morning.”

Smith notes that playing country music isn’t anything to be ashamed about, but living life on the road can be demanding and tempting. Burning both ends of the candle on Saturday night and Sunday morning is the life he’s chosen.

“It’s hard to make it to the church pew from a bar stool,” he said. “But you can’t know the darkness of one side without knowing the light of the other.

“Every time I play it and someone tells me what the song means to them, I start to realize how that also applies to me. It’s a special song.”

Co-written by Smith and Ashley Taylor, “Cigarettes and Jesus” was produced by Grady Saxman. Following up his LP “Long Cut,” Smith said he is excited about the next batch of releases he will put out.

“I feel like my writing has gotten better over time. I chose this song as the follow up to ‘Long Cut’ because the record was all about the road and life out there as a traveling musician, but this is a song that shows a different side of that,” he said.