With Father’s Day just around the corner, MULTI-PLATINUM hitmaker Nate Smith today (5/23) delivers “Dads Don’t Die” (Sony Music Nashville) – an unforgettably moving ballad celebrating the immortal power of love between father and child. Accompanied by a performance video, the two-pack includes a bonus version featuring GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Emily Weisband (a co-writer on the track). The latest in a series of monumental releases from Smith, “Dads Don’t Die” arrives as he kicks off a massive tour tonight as direct support for Jason Aldean’s FULL THROTTLE TOUR 2025. Listen to “Dads Don’t Die” and check out the performance video.
A driving force in the Country genre, Smith takes his chart-topping career to the next level with “Dads Don’t Die.” Written by Marc Beeson, Allen Shamblin, and Emily Weisband, the piano-led track hits with a momentous impact thanks to Smith’s force-of-nature voice – a formidable instrument that’s found him hailed as a “vocal powerhouse” by Stereogum. After performing the song live, he received overwhelming support from fans, who soon clamored for an official release. With over 2.5 BILLION global career streams to date, Smith reveals that adding “Dads Don’t Die” to his hit-stacked catalog is an undeniable honor.
“I’ll never forget the day Emily [Weisband] sent me this song. I broke down in tears the very first listen. It hit me straight in the heart,” admits Smith. “‘Dads never die… they live on in us, and through us.’ I’d never heard it said quite like that. I’m incredibly close with my dad and beyond grateful he’s still here. The thought of losing him is my greatest fear. My heart goes out to everyone who has lost their father. I hope this song brings comfort, healing, and a little light to anyone walking through that pain. What makes this song even more powerful is how it gently touches on forgiveness. Whether you’ve lost your dad, miss him deeply, or are still working through things with him – I hope this song finds you. What matters is that it reaches the people who need it most. I truly believe this is the most meaningful song I’ve ever been a part of.”
Produced by Joël Bruyère, “Dads Don’t Die” came to life with a lineup of A-list session musicians, including guitarists Tim Galloway and Derek Wells. Driven by the striking piano work of Alex Wright, the song opens as Smith observes the painful aftermath of losing a loved one (“You can cover him in flowers / Carve his name into a stone / Let your brother have his toolbox / And keep his number in your phone”). At the gently soaring chorus, he delivers a soul-soothing message of reassurance (“Dads don’t die / They still make you laugh / Still make you cry / Still make you mad the day it dawns / That you were wrong and he was right”). With its lovely intertwining of introspection, nostalgia, and sorrowful outpouring, the track also provides plenty of much-needed perspective (“Even if they let you down sometimes / There’s gonna come a day you understand / That he was just a man and you turned out alright”). Graced with a gorgeous guitar solo at the bridge, “Dads Don’t Die” ultimately brings an unstoppable spirit of hope to one of life’s most heartbreaking moments.
On the bonus version of “Dads Don’t Die,” Weisband adds a new element of tenderness to the track’s intimate reflection. An in-demand songwriter whose credits include Gabby Barrett, Old Dominion, Carly Pearce, and many more, Weisband delivers the song’s second verse with a soulful urgency, then joins Smith for a heart-melting duet at the chorus.
“Dads Don’t Die” is Smith’s first introduction to new music since “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend” – a collaboration with HARDY and spotlighted by Billboard, who praised it as a “slice of cut-to-the-bone, friend-to-friend honesty, wrapped in a country-rock package.” Since making his full-length debut with his GOLD self-titled LP (a 2023 release that emerged as the largest album debut from a new artist that year), he’s impressively earned three #1s at Country radio, with his latest single “Fix What You Didn’t Break” currently Top 10-and-climbing.
Directed by Kaiser Cunningham, the performance video for “Dads Don’t Die” affirms Smith’s deeply personal connection to the track and offers a glimpse at the fiery intensity he brings to every live show. With his past live experience including his headlining THROUGH THE SMOKE TOUR and SOLD-OUT WORLD ON FIRE TOUR in 2024 – along with supporting Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, and Morgan Wallen – he'll next take the stage at arenas and stadiums across the country as part of Aldean’s FULL THROTTLE TOUR 2025. Find more information on Smith’s upcoming live dates here.
