When Dave Norman of Zegema Beach Records declares an album as his favorite of the year, it’s time to pay attention. Known for his legendary contributions to the screamo scene, Norman’s endorsement carries significant weight. However, his still fresh “new” label, Softseed Music, ventures into more serene and alternative soundscapes, and it’s under this imprint that SMUSH’s remarkable new album, “If You Were Here I’d Be Home Now,“ has been released.
Vancouver’s own SMUSH, consisting of Emily Borrowman (bass and vox), Atley King (guitar), and Jay Christie (drums), emerged from a casual songwriting partnership into a full-fledged band around 2022.
Their journey began years earlier, with the duo crafting songs together, initially without serious intentions. However, a deep dive into the shoegaze genre catalyzed a more focused and intentional musical direction.
The album is a masterful blend of heavy shoegaze and dreamy dynamics, enriched by Emily’s ethereal vocals.
It spans a range of emotional and sonic landscapes, from the seismic to the lullaby-like. Lyrically, Emily draws inspiration from female singer-songwriters, weaving personal and poignant narratives throughout the album.
Themes of letting go, grieving childhood, and navigating the complexities of young adulthood permeate the songs. Notably, the single “lizzy mcguire” captures the essence of nightlife pressures faced by young women, resonating deeply with listeners.
For fans of MY BLOODY VALENTINE, SLOW PULP, JULIE, and SLOW CRUSH, this album is a must-listen.
For those intrigued by their story and music, our full interview below delves deeper into their inspirations, creative process, and future plans.
Additionally, please note that there’s a fresh interview with SMUSH featured on the (((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))) Podcast, too! Check out PODCAST #158, where Dave Norman dives deep with Atley and Emily. They discuss a wide range of topics, from the genesis of their band and their surprising journey into shoegaze, to quirky anecdotes like Rick Rubin in the bathroom and the challenges of Itunes gift cards.
Here’s our interview:
Hey Emily and Atley! First off, huge congratulations on SMUSH and your new album! When Dave Norman from Zegema Beach Records says, “It’s not screamo, but it’s my album of the year,” it makes you stop dead in your tracks, raise an eyebrow, and drop everything just to check it out. So, hats off to you!
Let’s kick things off with this: please, tell us more about this project. With just two tracks and three and a half thousand listeners on Spotify, it seems like a good start.
Can you demystify what SMUSH is all about and how it came to be?
We’ve been writing songs together since we met several years ago. It was always a lighthearted and unserious avenue for us until around 2022 when we started really getting into the shoegaze genre together.
We started writing some more intentional songs and smush just kind of happened. Neither of us remember coming up with the name or even deciding to be a band for real. There are a couple tracks from the first few sessions that made it onto the album, ‘goodnight moon’ and ‘new house’. Though the latter was edited and the structure changed a bit from its original demo.
Next up, tell us a bit more about yourselves. Who were you before this project? Did you have any other recordings or releases? What inspired you to create this band?
Atley has been playing music for his whole life and in bands for a long time. He has a BA in jazz vibraphone and is going to start his masters in it this year! I (Emily) have always been a music enthusiast and dabbled in playing instruments forever but I’ve never taken anything seriously until recently.
Atley has really gifted me the outlet of songwriting and expression through playing music in a band setting. I don’t think I would be doing it in this way without his encouragement and the comfort of having him up there with me. Singing has always been something I’ve loved but never done in front of anyone besides choirs and theatre when I was a kid.
Could you share more about how the album “If You Were Here I’d Be Home Now” came together? What fed your inspiration, both musically and lyrically?
Lyrically I take a lot of inspiration from female singer songwriters. It’s really important to me that I’m singing words that are honest and reflect my experiences, I’m a really sensitive individual and write my lyrics from a place of yearning to be understood. I’m at a point in my life where I’m letting go and grieving my childhood which is a really heavy theme over the whole album. Specifically ‘lizzy mcguire’, our second single, is about nightlife as a young woman. The performance and pressures of it all. I’m really proud of that song and feel like it’s really connected with people.
What’s the local scene like for alternative rock in Vancouver? Are there any local artists you’d highly recommend, in the spirit of SMUSH or otherwise?
Highland Eyeway is one of our favourite bands playing right now.
The new releases they’re coming out with are really amazing. Especially after hearing those songs live for a while, it’s great to be able to hear the studio versions.
Ears is another project we love. They’re really innovating and it’s just so amazing to watch. I’ve never seen anyone doing something like them.
We’ve loved Big Rig as well since the first time we saw them this past winter. We listen to their self titled album constantly, Jen is an amazing songwriter.
Your new album is available through Candlepin Records, and we’re talking thanks to the courtesy of Softseed Music. How did you connect with Dave?
Dave was sent our album by a friend of his and we heard from him shortly after. He’s been so great to work with and is so supportive of us and what we’re doing. We definitely wouldn’t have been able to get any vinyl produced this early without his help.
Despite the album receiving very positive feedback, it isn’t fully available on Spotify. How do you approach promotion in these digital times, where there are vast opportunities but also a desire to stay alternative, independent, and underground? Do you have a specific strategy, or is the label’s involvement mainly to help scale up your reach and simplify the basics? What’s your mindset on this?
We are definitely taking a different approach to releasing. Our album is available for purchase through bandcamp and will go to streaming soon as well. We’re happy to know there’s a demand for it on other platforms!
We’re chatting with a few labels about getting some help with the digital release, promo and that stuff. I think music is at a strange point because these streaming platforms payout is so low. It’s been a weird thing to navigate.
How did the June 15th concert in Vancouver go?
It was a really amazing show! I’m so grateful to everyone for making the time to come and see us. It was a super cool experience to be playing a show where people knew what to expect as we had played so many shows before that with no music released.
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Are there more concerts on the horizon? Do you plan to tour with this fantastic material?
We has a couple more shows in July in Vancouver. We are definitely going to tour this music in the future. We’ve done a few runs around BC and Alberta and had a great time, but we are definitely looking to do lots more touring.
Thanks so much for your time, Emily and Atley! Is there anything else you’d like to add? Maybe something we missed or even something not related to the album? Feel free to use our platform to send any message out to the world.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful questions!
Our main goal with this project is to create a community and really connect with our listeners. It’s really important to us that we’re reaching people in an authentic way.
I know this genre of music is going in some really cool directions and we’re excited to see what happens with it and to get to be a part in any way.
A huge thank you is owed to anyone who has listened and engaged with us. It’s been so validating and amazing.
