Photo by Jaycee Rockhold
Some of my favorite music has a disconnect between how the music sounds and what the lyrics are communicating. On the surface, it appears to be one thing, but if you listen closely it morphs into something else. Smut’s “After Silver Leaves” does exactly that. It has an almost sparkling intro before Tay Roebuck’s reverbed vocals float in. The whole thing feels warm and safe and comforting.
That sense of comfort is a false one, but one that was intended. Of the single, Roebuck shared, “This song is about a former relationship I was in, it was really horribly abusive. But the approach to this one was to just spell it all out and see how silly it feels once shit really hits the fan. The song sounds so happy, but I’m talking about driving someone to a hospital when they’ve overdosed. And having to detach myself and realize that maybe it’s not my job as a teenage girl to save some sad sack of a guy. I think a lot of young women will relate to that, unfortunately.”
Like a modern Lush meets The Smashing Pumpkins, Smut are a band you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on. The track comes alongside an announcement for the band’s full length release How the Light Felt out November 11th via Bayonet Records. You can catch them on tour this fall — dates below
Fri. Nov. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortliebs
Sat. Nov. 12 – Brooklyn, NY @ Alphaville
Mon. Nov. 14 – Washington, DC @ Pie Shop
Tue. Nov. 15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Wed. Nov. 16 – Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Thu. Nov. 17 – Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records
Fri. Nov. 18 – Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
Fri. Dec. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
