Chase Matthew & James Johnston on their collab, shoeys and the rise of country music

Chase Matthew & James Johnston might be from opposite sides of the world, but their new collab proves country music is bringing them closer than ever.

The pair have dropped the music video for their new single Smoke I’ve Known this morning, and after catching up with iHeartCountry NZ, it’s clear this is more than just a one-off track.

After a run of shows across Australia, the reaction to the song has already blown them away.

“People were already singing it… and it’s been out for three days.”

For Chase, moments like that hit differently when you’re a long way from home.

“It’s pretty wild to be so far away from home and hear all these people just so excited about the music.” 

The track itself came together quickly, with the pair saying they knew early on they had something special.

“Sometimes a little bit of magic happens in the room, and you just instantly connect… as soon as we wrote it, we knew we kinda had something special.”

That connection didn’t stop at the songwriting either.

“We realised that we’re pretty similar… we’re cut from the same cloth.”

And it’s that shared mindset that helped shape the bigger picture behind the song.

“We knew we did something magical… this is going to show everybody that country is worldwide, more than just countrywide."

Life on tour has had its moments too, including Chase’s introduction to a shoey in Aussie.

“I might die after that, to be honest… I was grossed out too.”

But at the core of it all, both artists say the genre’s growth comes down to one thing: keeping it real.

“It’s very easy to tell in country music if you’re about it or not… You got two guys right here, proud to represent the country folks, the hard working people."

And that authenticity is exactly why country music continues to connect with fans all over the world. 

Watch our full interview above to hear Chase Matthew and James Johnston talk Smoke I’ve Known, life on the road, and why country music is resonating worldwide.

Hear Chase Matthew, James Johnston and more of your favourite country artists on iHeartCountry NZ by using the player below.