Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones spent a little time telling us about their latest track and what they’re all about! Let’s see what they have to say!
Do you have a story behind your artist name? Where did the name ‘Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones’ come from?
Smitt E. Smitty: It’s basically two parts. Part one is the story behind ‘Smitt E. Smitty’. My birth name is Michael Smith. There are no less than 35,000-plus Michael Smiths in the US alone. I did not want to be one of 35,000. In an homage to the drummer of Cheap Trick, Bun E. Carlos, I went with Smitt E. Smitty. It worked out perfectly. In order to show some love to my amazingly talented band, I decided to christen them ‘The Fezztones.’ BTW, I’m the only one on stage wearing a fez!
Tell us a bit about your music journey. How has it shaped you?
My musical journey has always gone hand-in-hand with my artistic journey. Starting way back in grammar school. Both music and the visual arts. The two were intertwined as long as I can remember. I pursued both equally. The idea of making a living at either never really occurred to me. I was driven. Dual passions. Music influenced my art, and art influenced my music. I think that’s one of the biggest reasons bands with a more stylish and artistic flare made sense to me. I got it immediately. That’s what I wanted to do.
How would you describe your sound to someone unfamiliar with it?
I really won the geographical lottery being born and raised in Detroit. All those amazing bands and artists that came out of the Motor City in the ‘60s and ‘70s truly formed my musical sensibility. You can hear all those Motown and garage rock influences right there on the surface of all the songs we perform. People have come up to me and said they can really hear the Detroit in our music. It’s what separates us from the pack. Yes, there is clearly an anglophile element in there too. Especially the glam rock part of what we do. I was quite young when The Beatles and The Stones appeared on my radar, but the funny thing is, they were channeling the Motor City sound too. Full circle. Almost all bands are channeling the Detroit sound in some form or another. It’s deeply integrated in our musical culture.
What drew you to the genre/instruments you’re playing right now?
I was drawn to the rock genre, or probably more precisely, the art rock, or glam rock genre, very early on. Thank God my parents weren’t the kind of parents that belittled rock and roll. I was into it, so they let me have at it. They bought me my very first drum kit. It was more of a toy drum kit from Sears, but once they saw playing drums wasn’t a passing phase, they reached out to a friend of theirs that had an old red sparkle Ludwig drum kit he wasn’t using anymore. That became my first real drum kit, and I began using it to play in my friend’s basements, in neighborhood bands. As luck would have it, two of my best friends both had full drum kits in their basements too. Drums were just all around most of the time. It was this early period of musical development that taught me how important the drum beat was to any song. Yes, lyrics and the music are key of course, but the drums make a song come alive.
What inspires you to write music?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. The trick is to keep yourself open and aware of your surroundings. Let the muse take hold at any time. Even the tiniest bit, or piece of an idea can inspire an entire song. A lone title can lead to a song. Case in point? “The Growler.” I knew I was going to write a song titled “The Growler”, and the rest simply fell into place. Jot it down. Make a quick audio/video note. Let the idea present itself on its own timeline. When you are able to go back to the idea, you’ll either be very glad you took the time to make a note, or you’ll go “What the hell was I thinking?” Both responses are correct. No wrong answers.
Would you tell us about your current project, album/EP, or song you’re promoting?
The single titled “The Growler” was newly release at the start of September. We are now releasing the accompanying music video to the song this Friday the 13th of October. A worldwide premiere on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsB7gNciNh8
In addition to our brand NEW music video premiere, Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones will be performing at The Magic Room on Friday, November 3. We are so very excited to be sharing the stage with the reunion of Boston’s own The Strangemen. Spaced out alien Boston surf rock in all its sci-fi glory! Also featured on the bill is Two Ton Com’n & The Heavyweights, with their eight-piece, horn oriented, fez wearing chicanery! Fezzes, fezzes, and more fezzes! The very special guest MC for the evening will be Destiny Costa of ‘Ditch Your Demons’ on Mark Skin Radio. ALL for your Fez-A-Licious enjoyment!
What do you want listeners to take away from listening to your music?
We want our listeners to be transformed and invigorated with music that elevates them to another plain of conscientiousness and joy. A genuine sense of enlightenment. What is commonly known as the ‘WOW’ factor. You’ll want to listen to our songs over and over again.
Who are your top three artists right now? If that’s not a fair question, what’s your
favorite song right now?
The bands and musical artists I listen to are changing all the time. Currently I’m really into MAS (Mutual Admiration Society), and their cover of “Candy” by Iggy Pop and Kate Pierson, on the brand NEW record label Rock Garden Records. After that, I am so thrilled that the magnificent ‘70s art/glam band Sparks is having a resurgence. They typify everything we are trying to do in The Fezztones. A beautiful sense of style and art mixed with smart pop culture songs, all the while having FUN!
What’s the easiest way for fans to connect with you?
The best way to connect with Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones is through all the socials. We are currently updating our official website. It should be up and running very, very soon, at smittesmitty.com.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittesmitty
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smittesmittyrock
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2DOEHg5oCaRygIdQwJcsLj?si=FoeXBRJlRam5EvaxEgYqpg&nd=1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@smittesmitty
What’s next for you?
In addition to our “Night of The Living Fez!” event at The Magic Room on Friday, November 3, we are currently crafting a ‘showcase’ event at Brighton Music Hall on Sunday, November 26. It will be a coming out party for Rock Garden Records, and a celebration of the 55th anniversary of the release of The Beatles ‘White’ album, with host Chachi Loprete and his ‘Breakfast with The Beatles’ music show on 91.9FM WUMB in Boston & Seacoast Oldies 104.3FM in Maine! BOTH Little Billy Lost and Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones will be performing along with a select group of Rock Garden Records artists and bands. In addition to each band’s original music, every band will perform one song off the White album. What a magnificent way to commemorate and honor The Beatles, and finish off 2023!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
2024 is going to be a brilliant year for Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones… Stay Tuned!
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, and joined Little Billy Lost directly after, where he holds down the beat to this day.
Emerging from behind the drums, now is the time for him to lead his own band of musical misfits – Enter Smitt E. Smitty & The Fezztones!
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 The Fezztones, a playful and rambunctious octet that gave him a full, big-band sound and shared his musical vision of garage rock meets glam. The result is a collection of songs released by Code 213 Records, led by instant classic “Buzzkill Baby,” a cover of David Bowie’s iconic “Rebel Rebel,” and summer hit “The Growler,” which got the music video treatment in October 2023.
