Smith’s homespun podcast focuses on community
For the past couple of years, Lee Carleton Smith has been interviewing people around Neshoba County on his podcast, “The County Line: Lee Carl and Friends”, to get unique perspectives on a variety of topics and enjoys hearing opinions from a wide range of different people.
Smith, born and raised in Neshoba County, believes Philadelphia has the best potential and he wants to see it continue to progress.
He said his podcast is a program that covers basically anything, ranging from sports, hip-hop, country music, politics, culture, and more.
Smith describes the origin of his podcast on his website, which states the name of it comes from the down-home nature of it. The “County Line” portion was inspired from beer joints located on the county lines throughout the rural south following Prohibition, and the “Lee Carl and Friends” portion represents Smith and the interesting guests he invites onto the podcast.
“It’s a mom and pop kind of deal,” Smith said. “We talk about everything. I’ve had friends on here, along with politicians like Shuwaski Young who just ran for Congress in the last election cycle, and people in the community like Leroy Clemons and Tim Moore.”
Smith said he started the podcast before the pandemic, and he wanted to try his hand at being a radio personality and testing his skills in the area.
He said it evolved into something that made him look at media differently and how things are covered, and how he wanted to get a better view on the local side of things.
“My fanbase is small, but I wanted to put something out to the local market that talked about real issues people discuss over the dinner table or in the living room over a beer,” Smith said. “I enjoy hearing people who are authentic and give their real views and opinions on a topic, whatever it may be. Our goal is to make listeners feel as if they are sitting on the porch, having a beer with a dear friend.”
Smith’s favorite part of doing the podcast is having long, deep conversations with his guests and giving them his undivided attention, whether it be for 45 minutes or four hours.
“Having genuine, authentic conversations and putting them out for people to hear is very enjoyable,” he said. “People have reached out to me saying the podcast is refreshing. That’s been really gratifying.”
Smith usually records his podcast episodes in an extra bedroom in his house, which started out as just a couple of microphones. ‘
He added that he also records podcast episodes on the go when he travels and brings the podcast to the guest he wants to interview.
“Early on when I started I was living on the road for work so I would travel with the equipment and just go to people around East Central Mississippi and set things up with them,” Smith said. “I appreciate whoever listens to and supports the podcast, and to stay tuned. There are more episodes coming and it’s not over yet. Stay tuned.”
Tim Moore, executive director of the Philadelphia-Neshoba Chamber of Commerce, said he enjoyed being on Smith’s podcast.
“We have so much going on in Philadelphia and Neshoba County,” Moore said. “It takes all of us working together to make sure the right story is being told.”
The County Line: Lee Carl and Friends” can be found on Apple and Spotify. For more information about the podcast, visit www.countylinepodcast.com, or contact Smith at (601) 663-6848.
The podcast preview he wrote on Apple says, “The county line is a place traditionally known for being vague, ambiguous, and frequently visited by people who are intrigued by the prospect of viewing life from an unconventional perspective. I must add, these people also know how to have a large time.Nothing is off-limits here. Episodes will include conversations and interviews led by host, Lee Carl, and a wide ranging cast of characters. Listener engagement and interaction is the driving force at The County Line. We welcome anyone and everyone to join the conversation. Come join us for genuine hospitality and entertainment on the outskirts of life.”