You may have caught Chicago DIY rockers Smut opening for SPELLLING last May at Underground Arts or on the latest edition of Philthy Radio (now streaming via Y-Not Radio). Last week the Bayonet Records outfit — led by vocalist/lyricist Tay Roebuck and guitarists Andie Min and Sam Ruschman — hit the road as East Coast support for Bad Bad Hats (currently touring behind the 10th anniversary of debut LP Psychic Reader), which will have the two indie rock groups at our very own Johnny Brenda’s on Sunday, February 1st.
Smut are currently touring their third full-length, and first to include bassist John Steiner and drummer Aidan O’Connor, Tomorrow Comes Crashing, which dropped last June. But during a recent chat with Roebuck, Min, Ruschman, and O’Connor, I find out that they already have some new music… We also talk about their latest album, current lineup, and the possibility of being possessed by the spirit of MGMT or one of Johnny Brenda’s’ resident ghosts this coming Sunday.
Izzy Cihak: You’ve played Philadelphia a handful of times over the years. Any memories of the city, or even just thoughts? I have to admit, I always manage to miss you, but I’ll definitely be there at Johnny Brenda’s, so I’m super excited to finally catch the live show.
Aidan O’Connor: We love Philly. I cut my teeth playing gigs with my friends in the DIY scene there–house shows, small bars, random parties. The rooms are always generous and everyone’s just trying to have a great time. I also feel like whenever I’m in Philly, random people will ask me for directions or try and strike up conversation. We also always end up eating well there. Drummer needs calories!
Izzy: You’ve been doing this for about a decade now, but I know Tomorrow Comes Crashing brought along a few big changes, including a new lineup and a marriage! What have been some of the highlights of this new era of the band so far?
Sam Ruschman: For me it’s been just going down the rabbit hole of possibilities with the new lineup and seeing where we can take things either live or in writing. Recording this record in NYC was honestly one of the best times of my entire life and my favorite thing I’ve done as a part of this band so far. Another one would be our release show at Schuba’s in Chicago back in July. It’s one of our favorite and most played venues in the city and it was amazing to see it packed out.
Izzy: How do you feel like the new lineup has impacted your approach to writing and recording, or even just conceptualizing, the music? Do you feel like the album is a significant evolution from How the Light Felt?
Tay Roebuck: We’ve had a few lineup changes over the years and every time someone new comes in you feel a shift. Right now the band has a lot of enthusiasm and it feels like a ripe time for everyone’s creativity. This evolution of the band feels very grounded and supportive, with maybe the most aligned sonic vision that we’ve ever had. It’s the music we’ve been trying to make for years.
Izzy: I really love the whole album, but I especially love “Burn Like Violet,” which I spun on the January edition of Philthy Radio to promote the upcoming show, so I’m curious how that particular track came about?
Sam: I wrote the music for that one on a night after we had played a really killer gig at the Metro in Chicago. I was feeling the residual energy and wanted to make something where the chorus would be this kind of raucous thing, but the verses would float along in a more shoegazey kinda way. Kind of like AC/DC meets MBV.
Izzy: You’ve mentioned that “Waste Me” was inspired by the story of Icarus, and obviously “Syd Sweeney” is inspired by the actress, so I’m curious to hear what you consider to be some of your biggest influences outside the world of music?
Tay: For songwriting I take inspiration where it comes! I’ve watched movies, read books, or even been told stories by friends that I’ve used in songs. When something resonates at all with me, I’m jotting down lyrics in my phone or notebook. This year I’m reading some classic horror books so that might be sparking something these days.
Izzy: On a related note, you’ve put out a handful of really cool music videos from the album. What kinds of things tend to most inspire the visual elements of the band?
Tay: To me it feels like dominos when we get to the visuals of an album, the mood that inspires the music inspires the videos inspires the album cover etc. etc. With Tomorrow Comes Crashing there were elements of decay and nature reclaiming that decay in our minds once the album sonically started falling into place, so we incorporated that visually with the vines and forest and colors this time around.
Izzy: This is your second album with Bayonet Records, which seems like such a cool label. How is it working with them and being a part of that whole family?
Sam: We’ve got lots of love for the Bayo fam. It’s dope to see how they’ve grown over the last five years that we’ve been with them–I feel like they’re really tapping into some cool stuff. They’re super nice people and real heads for this stuff. Evan (the label manager) goes to more shows than anyone on the planet for real. Katie is like an indie music legend but somehow still the most down-to-earth person in the biz. They’re nothing but supportive of what we’re doing and we’re grateful that they believe in what we’re doing.
Izzy: You’re about to hit the road with Bad Bad Hats (who I also dig) for almost a month. How excited are you for those dates, both to connect with new and old fans and just be on the road with another great band?
Sam: We love touring so we’re excited of course. We’ve never hit the road in the dead of winter, so fingers crossed it’s safe travels the whole way. I think our friends in The Ophelias toured with Bad Bad Hats a few years ago and had nothing but nice things to say about em, so we’re stoked to meet them and their fans.
Izzy: What can be expected of the live show when you’re at Johnny Brenda’s?
Andie Min: For this tour we are trying to play a solid mix of our current record as well as our last one, How the Light Felt. There’s also a good chance we‘ll be trying some new stuff as well! I think you can safely expect a diverse set, given with everything we can give!
Izzy: This isn’t a question, but I know that you’ve said “Touch & Go” was inspired by “Time to Pretend” by MGMT, so I feel like I should mention that MGMT actually played a super famous show at Johnny Brenda’s in 2008 on their double-headlining tour with Yeasayer, so maybe their spirit will find you! The venue’s also supposedly super haunted, so that may work in favor of that!
Tay: Wow, I love everything about that. I would love to be possessed by the spirit of MGMT or even a music venue ghost, so that sounds perfect to me.
Izzy: Finally, what’s next for you, after these dates? What are you most significantly hoping and planning for 2026?
Sam: Continuing the work on new stuff mostly! We just signed with a UK/European booking agent so playing across the pond would be incredible this year.
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