Band Of The Week #304 - Smut
This week's Band of the Week is Chicago band Smut - who have just released their new album 'Tomorrow Comes Crashing' via Bayonet Records.
Consisting of vocalist/lyricist Tay Roebuck, guitarist Andie Min, bassist John Steiner, guitarist Sam Ruschman, and drummer Aidan O’Connor - 'Tomorrow Comes Crashing' is Smut's first release with O'Connor and Steiner, and sees the band re-energized on their limitless potential that comes with making music with people you love. Powered with a new line up, Smut focused on capturing the big emotions that come with falling in love with music for the very first time. The outcome is ten of their most intense, bombastic, and focused songs to date. To make the record, Smut recorded “as live as they could,” alongside Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma) in a studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn, over the course of ten days. Right before they went off to New York, Roebuck and Min got married, with the rest of the band by their side. The recording was a true labor of love — driving from Chicago with all their equipment, returning from 12 hour studio days to sleep on friends' couches and floors, Roebuck completely blowing her voice by the end.
Smut has always been DIY. Because they love it. Because they have to do it — there’s no other option. Tomorrow Comes Crashing is the culmination of that DIY spirit: making a record that completely encompasses the intensity, moodiness, and emotion of their journey so far.
They took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.
Hey there Smut, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?.
We are doing great! It feels amazing being able to share this album with everyone, we are very proud of it!
It is called 'Tomorrow Comes Crashing’ – what is the meaning behind that?
We like to think it can be read different ways depending on how optimistic you are feeling in the moment, but good or bad tomorrow is inevitable and unpredictable.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
We recorded in Red Hook NY with Aron Kobayashi-Rich and had such a great time. We slept on our friends floors then would spend all day in the studio recording, eating raw ginger and talking about horror movies.
What are the key influences behind the album?
Our inspirations were all over the place, we wanted every member to be able to try new things and lean into what speaks to them. That led to us pulling from metal, jazz, and early 2000s emo.
If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
There’s this film called May from 2002 that I think of a lot. It’s about an emotionally unregulated but endearing girl who is desperately seeking connection in increasingly violent ways. The movie kind of lines up with that sort of exploration of big emotions. Also not a film but Yellowjackets would go crazy with a "Syd Sweeney" needle drop.
Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
“And when you hear the scream of metal meeting bones may all your sights catch to the stare of loving eyes and loving sounds and swollen light” from "Crashing in the Coil". I think it is equal parts destructive and hopeful which I think speaks to the album as a whole.
Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Playing some shows and getting straight to writing the next album. We have high hopes and even bigger dreams leading us into this one!
