And now, with two stellar albums and countless kilometres of touring under their belts, Smith & Jones have worked their way into a position where their shared dream has become a fruitful reality.

"Original music is now the driving force behind what we do, and it's one of those things that has slowly but surely fallen into place," Smith said.

"We're pretty lucky to live a life where our 'living' is centred around our main creative outlet," Jones added.

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In 2019, Smith & Jones released their second album, Something Worth Learning, which saw the duo expand on their core 'alt-country' sound into soaring ballads and a deeper range of emotions.

Something Worth Learning was officially launched last March to a crowd of 350 at The Victoria Bathurst, and Smith & Jones followed the launch with gigs most weekends at various locations across eastern Australia.

"To us, success is seeing our peers embrace what we do and we've always recorded albums to play gigs rather than the other way around," Smith said.

"We're a band of a writer and an interpreter: I write the songs and take them to Sophie to work out how to connect them with an audience."

Smith & Jones have expanded their sound in recent years to fit the medium of a band, with guitarist Matt Ferry, bassist Lian Wong and various drummers [namely Michael Carpenter and Great Aunt's Chelsea Allen] adding a further element to their live sound.

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"By the time we get to recording songs, they have often gone through multiple changes, many of which have been influenced by the musicians we perform with and how audiences respond," Jones said.

"The development of songs on stage is the most integral part of Smith & Jones, and we wouldn't be the same act without it," Smith added.

With live performance a top priority, Smith & Jones have adopted a carefully planned approach towards expanding the appeal of their music.

"We're not taking gigs 'willy-nilly' anymore, we've reached that point where it's possible to plan shows around our other commitments," Smith said.

"Some of the best gigs we've played have been support slots for higher-profile artists, as they've helped us forge meaningful connections with a range of different audiences," Jones added.

Outside Smith & Jones, the pair are actively engaged in Bathurst's creative community through music teaching, events management and the promotion of sustainable fashion.

READ ALSO: 2019 was a productive year for original music in the Central West

Smith & Jones have played a pivotal role in the growth and promotion of original music in the Central West, and they make sure to remind the audience of the region's creativity at each gig.

"At each gig, we say 'we're Smith & Jones and we're from Bathurst' multiple times on stage, because we're proud of the region and how it has shaped our music," Jones said.

"Artists are going to 'art' no matter what and as a community, the best thing we can do is get behind artists with bold and innovative ideas," Smith added.

With the pair set to make their annual pilgrimage to the Tamworth Country Music Festival next week, Smith & Jones are looking forward to another productive year in 2020.

"We are definitely planning to start on new material and road-test it at gigs, but we're not in any rush," Smith said.

"There's no massive plans, but we hope to keep the ball rolling and continue to explore the possibilities of our existing material with our band and audiences," Jones added.