Smitt E. Smitty & The Feztones took some time to tell us about their music and how they make it. Let’s see what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones. There’s a lot to chew on with that one, right? I began calling this musical endeavor simply Smitt E. Smitty. The very first debut release was under the name Smitt E. Smitty. Once the band took shape, and I had a front row seat to all the talent, passion, and hard work all the bandmates put into this, I realized I need to give them proper love and acknowledgement. Hence forth… The Fezztones. BTW, I am the only person in the band wearing a fez, too.
You may ask yourself, OK, that explains The Fezztones part, but what about ‘Smitt E. Smitty’? Of course, my parents did not name me ‘Smitt’. I was born Michael Smith. There are millions of Michael Smith’s on planet Earth. I did not want to be in that group. I took a page from Bun E. Carlos, the original drummer in Cheap Trick, and one of my favorite drummers of all time. Early on everyone said Bun E’s name as ‘bunny’. I was hoping for the same outcome with Smitt E. Have everyone say Smitty, so it would end up sounding like ‘Smitty Smitty.’ For the most part, people like to stop off at that “E”, and say “Smitt EEE Smitty.” All good. Call me whatever you wish. Just don’t call me late for dinner.
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I feel like I won the musical-era lottery. I was witness to the creation of some of the greatest music of all time. My mom was a huge Elvis fan, so some of the very first music I heard as a child in my household was by the King himself. From there, it’s a virtual history of Rock. I was 7 when The Beatles played Ed Sullivan the first time, followed by The Rolling Stones. Then came Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, and The Animals. Before you know it, the first iteration of ‘Garage Rock’ popped up. The Pleasure Seekers, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Question Mark & The Mysterians, and The Bob Seger System. Next up we had The MC5, The Stooges, and Alice Cooper, which morphed into Glam Rock, with Marc Bolan, David Bowie, and The New York Dolls, and BAM! Here comes Punk Rock with ALL the brilliant early punk bands of that time. From this point forward, to list all the bands that got under my skin and took hold of me would take forever and a day. I’ll get to some of them a bit later.
How would you describe your sound?
I am definitely an ‘Art School’ Rocker. Having said that, I am not looking for ways to limit what we can do musically. Our sound or musical style must be organic. We want to surprise ourselves first. It goes without saying that the songs and sound we produce is very much a product of the art and music we experienced growing up… with a twist. Change it up.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
YEAH! Now THAT’S a big question. Of course, at 7 years old, I was front and center of our family’s RCA black and white television on February 9, 1964 when the Beatles made their first appearance on Ed Sullivan’s Sunday show. To say that moment was electrifying to me, and changed everything in my world, is an understatement of the universe. From that moment forward, music was intertwined in my life belief system. Both creatively, and spiritually. The list of bands and artists that began to pop up on my radar, read like a who’s who of the history of rock and popular music. I immediately began playing drums in neighborhood ‘garage’ bands. It wasn’t until I went to my very first rock concert at 14, when the idea of actually playing in a rock band, became a genuine achievable goal. The band was The New York Dolls. A punk-glam rock band from New York. The New York Dolls just might be my own personal ‘Rosebud’ I’ve been chasing my entire life. Connect the dots from there. It’s why glam and punk bands have always made sense to me. I got it immediately. Add a dash of ‘performance art’ from my time in college, and we’re off to the races.
What’s the last song you listened to?
I am currently listening to all kinds of great music. The most recent band that has jumped out at me is Clown Core. Talk about Art Rock! Maybe more like avant-garde, grindcore, freeform-jazz, performance progressive art-rock… with a heavy helping of not taking themselves too seriously. That really speaks to me. Some of my Detroit favorites are Shadow Show, Sugar Tradition, and GiGi. Here in Boston, Sapling is exciting to me, as well as Tysk Tysk Task, and Violet Nox.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I am deeply immersed in art and music only all the time. The vast majority of my friends and bandmates are too. If there is something percolating, or ready to break wide open, I generally hear about it. I need new music to breathe. New music resonates in the core of my soul. It’s not a destination. It’s a journey. It’s a way of life. My source? Everything.
Who is your dream producer?
I have been off-the-charts fortunate to have worked with some of the best producers and engineers in the business. Ben Grosse (Depeche Mode, Ben Folds, The Flaming Lips), Don Was (The Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, The B-52s), and Alan Moulder (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, My Bloody Valentine). If I could wave a magic wand and have any producer I wish, I might have to go with… Ben Grosse, Don Was, or Alan Moulder. The current producer and engineer I am working with is Alec Rodriguez. He has been at the helm for both Smitt E. Smitty albums, recorded at New Alliance Audio. I am blessed to have worked with him. They were all a dream to work with. Why fix what isn’t broken.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Iggy, Jack White and Patti Smith. All three of these brilliant and talented people would be magical to work with. Symbiotic.
Reasons? Iggy got under my skin in The Stooges back when I was in junior high and high school. I speak fluent ‘Osterberg.’ Jack is a true blue Detroit ‘garage rocker’, and has an ultra keen sense of art and music. Patti Smith knows how to write a GD song. Creativity, emotion, and passion wrapped in Rock!
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Growing up, music was always playing in my household all the time. I don’t need to be motivated to make music. It’s an inner drive. A passion. A desire. Is creating music and art hard work sometimes? Oh Hell Yeah! Anything you do, no matter how much you enjoy it, is going to be work sometimes, but when it comes right down to it, I don’t need to be pushed or motivated to come up with musical ideas or creative ideas. Driving to rehearsal is work. Rehearsal is a joy. Music and art is always there. Right under the surface, and right on top of the surface. I dream art and music.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
The grand question: What comes first? The music or the lyrics? Not always, but generally speaking, I hear the musical idea first. When a musical thought or inspiration occurs to me, I have to immediately think of what drum beat/rhythm would accompany it. Sometimes the drum beat/rhythm happens first. Yeah… drums are very important.
As I have stated before, I don’t consider myself a poet, but instead, a story teller. I am thinking of story themes all the time. Both fiction and/or loosely based on real life experiences. I am a big believer in the ‘write what you know’ approach. Even when a song theme is fictional, it’s always inspired by something I may be feeling at the time, or something I experienced in the past. As the song begins to take shape, at some point I look for a moment to surprise the listener, AND myself. Change it up.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
LIVE performances are a BLAST for me! I just remember how I felt when I was first blown away by a band’s live performance early on. I do everything in my power to create that moment for the audience in front of us. Every show is different. Each performance is its own moment. It’s its own unique place in time. Every performance stands on its own. I do everything I can to experience that moment, and enjoy it all, and give all that joy right back to the audience.
Rebel Rebel video: https://youtu.be/TFMwC1gwzL4
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittesmitty/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DOEHg5oCaRygIdQwJcsLj?si=Hj9x76RnQeqM4mpfcp1l4g
Bandcamp: https://smittesmitty.bandcamp.com/track/rebel-rebel-2
What’s next for you?
The next thing for me is deciding which of the six remaining songs we recorded from The Fezztone sessions at New Alliance, we’ll release. They all have their own merits. They all can stand on their own. They’re all different. All formidable. And yes… at some point, a full fledged album will appear. More music videos too. It’s who I am. Oh yeah… there is a really… big… show on the horizon. Stay tuned.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Nobody is successful or gets anywhere without help and/or inspiration from others. Nobody. If a person thinks their success in life is all due to themselves, they have, a) Not been paying attention, or b) Have their head squarely up their….. But either way, it truly does take a village. From my family and friends, to my better half of the last 30 years, Lucia, to ALL the bandmates in every band I have ever played in, to ALL the incredibly talented and beautiful bandmates I have been so very fortunate to work and perform with in The Fezztones, and Little Billy Lost. As Pee Wee Herman once famously said… “I am the luckiest boy in the world.”
Bio:
Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones. Born and raised in Detroit. Moved to Boston in 1985. Smitty played in a great many Detroit bands including The Blind, Zero Ambience, L-Seven and Figures on a Beach. After moving to Boston, Figures on a Beach got signed to Sire/Warner Records and released music until the early ‘90s. FOAB disbanded 1991. Smitty then joined the Wax Trax label in Chainsuck, with lead singer songwriter Marydee Reynolds, until 1999. Smitty then played in Fireking until 2017.
Now it’s Smitt E. Smitty & The Feztones time! ALL the time!
After releasing Smitt E. Smitty’s debut album in 2017, titled Just A Modern Guy, Smitty went back into the recording studio with Alec Rodriguez of New Alliance Audio, in Somerville, MA. This time with a full band, aptly named The Fezztones. The result is a collection of songs, led by instant 2022 classic “Buzzkill Baby” and a cover of David Bowie’s iconic “Rebel Rebel,” set for release in March 2023 through Code 213 Records.
