Georgia native Corey Smith quickly gained a large college-aged fanbase with bar-friendy songs like “Drinkin’ Again,” “Twenty-One” and “If I Could Do It Again.” And even though the country-rock musician has now stepped back from the booze to focus more on family and his music, he still knows how to throw a party — as those who went to his last Greenville show may know.

And he’s bringing that party back to downtown this month, when he and his band perform Feb. 12 at Pantana Bob’s.

Even though he’s toured the country, sold out massive venues and sung the national anthem before an Atlanta Brave’s game (one of his best moments, he says), Smith says playing in places like PB’s is familiar territory to him, harkening back to 10 years ago, when he worked as a school teacher during the day and booked gigs near Athens, Ga., at night.

A decade later, he’s promoting his sixth CD — released Nov. 17 and available at shows or through iTunes and Rhapsody — on his own label, Undertone Records. The album was completed with the help of Rusty Cobb, and producer and engineer who’s worked with the likes of Sevendust.

“He was able to help bring out more of a rock edge to the country songs that I thought made for a really cool mix,” Smith said, adding that more financial and musical resources also contributed to the album’s quality.

“What I tried to do was produce the record so that it would appeal to wider group of people,” he said. “?EUR? What I wanted to do was reduce barriers. I wanted the songs to be heard by as many people as possible.”

Smith also says he’s looking forward to getting back to Greenville, a show they continue to book for his drummer, an East Carolina University alumnus. But before making his way into town, he talked to mixer about the new album, what it was like starting out near Athens and how he’s matured artistically:

You were in Greenville at PB’s a couple of years ago. What do you remember most about being here?

I’ve been there a couple of times. One of the reasons we keep coming back there is it’s so close to campus and right in the middle of things, and the people are so fired up and enthusiastic when we come to town.

Athens, Ga., is almost legendary for its underground music scene. How do you think playing there helped develop your own career?

Athens provided a lot of inspiration because it’s a cool town. It’s a really diverse town stuck in the middle of rural Georgia. ?EUR? It’s cool that bands like REM and Widespread (Panic) were from Athens and sort of send the message that anything’s possible. ?EUR? The difficult things about a town like Athens, Austin or Nashville, is musicians flock there thinking they’re going to get discovered. I found it was much better for me to start off playing in other towns — in smaller towns that didn’t really have a music scene.

When did you realize you were gaining a lot of popularity?

It took about six months before I realized the music was taking on a life of its own, and it grew exponentially. ?EUR? It grew fast. I released three records while I was still teaching high school.

What’s been your best experience in music?

I’m not really one to reach a pinnacle and celebrate it that much. I really try to live in the moment and be grateful. There are certainly special moments that will always stick out. And it’s weird because some of them pale in comparison to the others. For example, the summer before we sold out Chastain Park in Atlanta. But I felt the same way when we sold out the Gerogia Theater in Athens. ?EUR? It was still that same sense of amazement and gratitude.

What has typically been the fan favorite at your shows?

Songs like “21,” “If I Could Do It Again,” “Drinking Again.”

What do you anticipate will be the big one from “Keeping Up with the Jonses?”

I think “$8 bottle of wine” is one because it’s very much in line with my earlier stuff, at least on the surface. Another one is “Keeping up with the Joneses” — people have responded to it.

You’ve said that to you, success is a matter of staying focused on songwriting and maturing artistically. How do you feel you’ve matured artistically since your days in Athens?

I sort of try to whittle away at myself and try to figure out what matters most. And certainly what matters most is my family and my family’s happiness and largely that depends on my health and trying to make good choices. It’s very tough to travel and to be in bar environment or rock-and-roll environments. Largely, I think I’ve learned about myself and I rely on alcohol less, and I rely on people’s acceptance of me less.

Contact Kristin Day at kday@reflector.com or 329-9579.

If you want to go?

Who: Corey Smith

When: Feb. 12

Where: Pantana Bob’s, 513 Cotanche St.