Written six years ago, the song takes on a new meaning as Smith and his wife, Leah, prepare to welcome their first child — a baby girl. Some songs arrive at exactly the right time. For Conner Smith, that time is now.
The country singer-songwriter has released “Pink Champagne (demo),” a song he originally penned six years ago with Jonathan Hutcherson, Josh Kerr and Parker Wellings. What began as a songwriter’s imagined portrait of fatherhood has taken on a strikingly personal resonance as Smith and his wife, Leah, prepare to welcome their first baby later this year.
The song centers on the moment an expectant father discovers he is having a daughter, then fast-forwards through the milestones he imagines sharing with her — from learning to tie a bow and dancing together to watching her grow up and eventually handing over the car keys.
For Smith, those once-hypothetical moments now feel considerably closer to home. “My artistry has seemed to naturally follow the evolution of my own life,” Smith says. “Not intentionally, but the core of my heart as a songwriter is to write from the overflow. This song marks a significant shift in a personal chapter, one that I imagine will inevitably show up in my music along the way.” “Pink Champagne (demo)” is deliberately stripped back, allowing the song's central idea and Smith's storytelling to remain front and center. Rather than presenting an elaborate production, the demo format gives the track an intimate, almost diary-like quality; fitting for a song that has spent years waiting for its real-life counterpart.
Photo: Eric Bunting
That simplicity also leaves room for the song's broader appeal. While its inspiration came from a story Smith wrote before becoming a father, the emotions at its center — anticipation, excitement and imagining the person a child will become; extend well beyond his own experience. “This demo of ‘Pink Champagne’ is intentionally simple and straightforward,” Smith says. “I'm excited about the uniqueness of the concept, but I also think there's something about the song that all girl dads can relate to.” Now, with Smith and Leah preparing for their daughter's arrival, “Pink Champagne (demo)” has effectively caught up with the life it once imagined. Six years after it was written, the song has found its moment, and for Smith, that moment could hardly be more personal.