Holy Smokes! Straight out of Muncie, Indiana, this soulful garage rock band brings an infectious energy that’s impossible to ignore. Drawing inspiration from The Stooges, The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, and The Small Faces, Holy Smokes is here to wake up the masses with their counterculture message, highly danceable rhythm section, powerful vocals, harmonies, and spitfire guitar. We caught up with the band to see what makes them tick!
Q: In your opinion, what are the essential qualities that make a “good songwriter”?
I don’t think it can be broken down like that - either somebody has it or they don’t. You can sharpen the skill, but I believe the best songwriters are just born with it.
Q: What is the basis for writing attention-grabbing music in this day and age?
A great melody & danceable rhythm will never go out of style. I think it’s a race to the bottom right now with people trying to make it more complicated than that. People are spending so much time on their image & social media presence that they forget how to write a good basic song.
Q: Can you pinpoint some specific songs and songwriters that changed the way you write music?
“Foggy Notion” by The Velvet Underground. The driving beat & guitar style make it impossible to sit still. A lot of good early soul music has this as well. I’ve always loved repetitive driving rhythms & that’s informed my writing style a lot.
Q: Do you find it hard to be inspired by your peers? Can you name any new artists you find inspiring?
Absolutely. With respect, I don’t feel we have any peers. I gave up on listening to new artists a long time ago because I never hear anything better than what’s already been done. My record collection continues to provide all the inspiration I need. Trying to keep up with what’s current is a fools errand, in my opinion.
Q: For your new album, what inspired the lyrical content, album title, and overall vibe?
It’s a mix of bad human experiences & seeing what’s going on in the world today. The album title “Too Young To Die” represents an internal battle against the inevitable passing of time & the natural wondering about when it’s too late to accomplish certain things. Sad Old Man is about many musicians I know who gave up on their dreams to just be a bitter old guy. It’s a reminder to myself to never become that. Other songs address the manufactured battle between “left” & “right” & the relentless war many people don’t even realize we are in. A war of information against ideas & uncensored communication. Everything has always been propaganda & advertising but technology has allowed it to infiltrate our minds in a way that was not possible before. Many people still don’t realize they are pawns in a chess game they can never win. Overall, the lyrical content is very negative. I have lots of hope for humanity, but until people wake up, it’s going to get uglier. We try to deliver these messages inside of nice bouncy songs so it’s easier to digest.
Q: Do you find that you ruminate over writing songs and hold on to them for a long time before including them on a record? Or do you prefer to write them, release them, and be done with them? Do you ever re-visit old material to do a re-write or once it’s done it’s done?
A couple of these songs (Information Overload & Your Love Is Like A Drug) are actually from a solo album I did a few years back called John Ambrose, so yes I will re-visit older material. Overall, I just let the songs come as they will & they always let me know what’s needed, when to finish, when to record, release, etc.
Q: Were there any lessons you learned in the writing and recording process for your current release that you will take with you into your next project?
Yes! I learned so much about recording, mixing & mastering. Unfortunately, to get there I spent way too much time in the studio to the detriment of the band’s progress & my own health. I learned that sometimes you have to let go & just let something be what it is so you can move on to the next one.
