Smith Westerns are coming to Glasslands on 1/18 to celebrate the release of their second full-length Dye It Blonde, and we’re all like YAY! I got to trade the guys a few questions for a few answers all about the great things going on for the band these days.
yeah, the NYPD just wants to get a free show
You guys found some quick notoriety as a ‘garage’ band with your first record, but your sophomore effort is a huge departure from that whole vibe. What contributed to the transition?
I never thought we were really a garage band. The first record was us trying to be a power pop band. I think “garage” is like a buzzword that people who want to pretend they know music label every band that doesn’t have a keyboard in it. I think we wanted to show everyone our ability at writing music and at playing. We also wanted to show that given the opportunity we could make something that would surpass or at least stand up to our lo-fi release.
Dye It Blonde sounds clear as a bell – seriously so entertaining from start to finish. How did you guys navigate your first time in a proper studio?
Thanks. We wanted to make something epic that would be a departure from the first record, it being lo-fi was cool but it made it too dated and we wanted to make something that would hold up and move towards timelessness or being a classic: or that was the goal. We didn’t navigate it properly; we were always freaking out thinking we were going to run out of time or money. Chris Coady (our producer) told us what was up and made sure we were taking the time to do everything right and he knew how to transfer what we wanted to do but didn’t know how to do in a studio setting.
The “Weekend” video looked like a lot of fun to shoot, is that a typical weekend for you in Chi-town? You guys have some nice axe skills, btw.
Not, really. We’re never at home in Chicago anymore, we don’t really live anywhere now. But if I had money I would go spend it like we did in that video.
I know you recently wrapped up a European tour with MGMT – what was the craziest city you played?
Prague, we came on and played percussion on “Kids” and then the whole time we played our set these little girls kept screaming.
The last couple of times I saw you guys play Brooklyn the parties got shut down by NYPD – I’ve never seen a full set! Which song psychs you out the most to play live for an audience right now?
Yeah the NYPD just wants to get a free show . I like playing songs that the audience don’t know off Dye It Blonde, because they don’t care but then its like just wait till ya hear this on wax, brah.
BTW you can get tickets HERE