After two years of iterations, SMiiLE is finally ready to become what they are.
The local band has finally settled on a definitive lineup and seem poised to make 2018 the year that counts. Newly released single Longer delivers on the fitful, skronk-rock hinted at on last years Must Be Something Pt. 1. SMiiLE's songs still find their bedrock in the resounding, siren-like harmonies deployed by members Mary Bryce and Annie Long, which remain one of their best-used weapons and recall Bitte Orca-era Dirty Projectors. Meanwhile, singer Jack Miles belts out line after line of idiosyncratic dialogue atop a pile of driving guitars, heavy bass, whirling keys, and stuttered drums.
It's revitalizing to know that SMiiLE is making the kind of pop-inclined yet defiantly eclectic music that made the indie rock scene so exciting to follow in the 2000s, and you'd be hardpressed to find any band in the Austin music scene making art-pop that sounds this frenetic, joyous, or vital. The fact that they're very nice people is just icing on the cake. We caught up with SMiiLE to discuss when they'll know they've made it as a band, when they feel most zen, what their worst jobs were, and much more.
Photography by Roger Ho
Artwork by Ami Plasse
Do512: What is the best part about being a musician in Austin, Texas?
SMiiLE:
(Johnny) To transform into a different character or be somebody else while you're performing.
(Harrison) Two free drinks every night!
(Mary) I think that the best part about being a musician in Austin, Texas is that it's more fun than being at my job, that's for sure. I don't know if this is particular to Austin, but I get a lot of joy out of playing. It makes me very happy and I find it deeply fulfilling. The fact that there are people who show up literally every night of the week - and we learned that on our tour, people don't have to show up for live music every day of the week. They just don't. So that was something special we learned is that there's an audience here that doesn't happen in other cities, even big cities.
(Annie) Every band is so good in Austin. I'm from here and have pretty much only ever been here and I didn't realize it until we went on the road, but there is such great quality here that doesn't exist in other places.
(Harrison) it makes us better musicians, too. Because seeing quality like that every night you think, "Fuck, I need to work harder."
(Miles) I try to be present at shows, but usually, I'm thinking, "I need to go practice..." which is actually really inspiring. Austin has been cultivating a music scene a lot longer than most places in the U.S. There's arguably a rivalry with San Fran or New York or something, but as far as a roots music scene that's still going, I think Austin is pretty special.
What are you good at, but hate doing?
SMiiLE:
(Annie) I'm good at math and I don't like to do math.
(Mary) I'm good at writing. I'm also a freelance writer and I have been pretty burned out lately (laughs), but I can do it!
(Miles) I only do things I'm good at. I avoid things I'm bad at like the plague.
(Annie) I'm also really good at ironing clothes. I'm like really good at ironing clothes. Obviously, it's not fun, though.
(Miles) I look like Flat Stanley when she irons my clothes.
Is there a particular moment you’ve imagined where you’ll know you’ve made it as a band?
SMiiLE:
(Miles) Quitting our day jobs. There are other landmarks, but I think every musician in this world wants to be free to play music not only as their source of income but as like, an all ensuing passion.
(Mary) National press coverage that really does something. There's a band called Hovvdy in Austin who've exploded that are friends of ours. It's been so crazy and cool to see them become really successful - genuinely experiencing success... Going to Europe! Who am I kidding?
(Miles) Self-perpetuating world tour.
(Annie) One little thing of success that I've felt on this tour is finally being able to tell people that I'm a musician. Up until a certain point you're like, "Oh, I'm in a band...," but when you introduce yourself as a musician, that means something. It's a baby step.
(Miles) People singing along to our lyrics.
(Harrison) Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
(Mary) There's a tiny little music scene in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and they know everything (that's) awesome.
(Miles) These people there knew we were coming and listened to us, and learned all the words to our songs.
SMiiLE, by Ami Plasse
What’s your first memory of the Internet?
SMiiLE:
(Harrison) (What What) In The Butt. I guess this is more YouTube, but I remember people showing (What What) In The Butt to me.
(Annie) Salad Fingers!
(Mary) Remember the video of the farting preacher? I thought that was it. It was so funny, I'd never seen anything like it. That was it for me.
(Miles) All that flash animation stuff... Homestar Runner. Schfifty Five, obviously.
(Harrison) Shoes.
(Johnny) If we're talking early Internet, I think of that dial-up sound.
What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
SMiiLE:
(Harrison) I worked an office job for like six months and stared at a computer all day. That was the worst, I cannot sit. That was something I learned about myself. I thought it was going to be the answer to all my problems, but it ended up leading to a lot more questions.
(Miles) I worked at Pearson Education for a summer, which was the company that makes TAKS tests or whatever. Basically, my job was called Image Editor and it literally meant I pressed a total of three keys. I looked at these images one at a time and determined if they had been properly filled in. Yes, No, or Maybe. It was like 12-hour shifts and I ended up just hiding in my cubicle and making sculptures out of paper clips. I made a dinosaur holding a guitar and then every time my boss would come by I'd stuff it under my desk.
(Mary) My worst experience ever getting paid to do something was I babysat 5 children, two of whom were twin infants and they cried and the other kids cried. It got violent. I was like 14 babysitting 5 kids.
(Annie) I babysat once, it was the worst. The most feces of any job I've ever done. I babysat some random woman's random infant. She was in town for a night and needed me to take care of her infant in this fancy, fancy hotel room. So I did it and was like, "Cool, I'm gonna watch TV and get room service!" This child screamed for 5 hours and then completely exploded its pants with shit. It went outside of his clothes. Shit was everywhere. I had to hold this child in the fancy hotel shower and basically hose it off. It was so bad. I used up like an entire hotels' worth of linens and had to get new linens. I had to scoop up baby shit, which is much worse than normal shit. This goes back to that earlier question of what am I good at but hate doing: cleaning baby shit.
Describe your favorite shirt.
SMiiLE:
(Miles) My favorite shirt got burned in a fire, which is unfortunate. It had a kitten writing sheet music, surrounded by roses. I just loved it. I got burned in the fire and had to take it off and stomp it out. It protected me.
(Mary) I'm actually wearing one of my favorite shirts, but it's like, barely a shirt. It's basically like a bra that I pretend is a shirt.
(Annie) My favorite shirt is like, two stickers I put on. Just kidding!
(Johnny) The best shirts are the ones that don't feel like they're there.
(Harrison) I have this old Rolling Stones shirt that my sister gave me when I was little. It's from like, an early 90s tour. I've been wearing since I was in 4th grade. The vice principal used to call me Sticky Fingers.
What’s something you’ve lost interest in as you’ve gotten older?
SMiiLE:
(Miles) People. I don't know, that's dark. Living? Motivation to even get out of bed or wake up...?
Skateboarding. I feel like every single boy on the planet lost interest in skateboarding at some point.
(Harrison) Basketball. I used to be really into basketball. I was always just tall, and I grew up in a small Texas town, so people were always like, "You're gonna play basketball!"
(Annie) I'm not as interested in Pocahontas as I used to be as a child. I'm still kind of interested, but not nearly as much.
(Harrison) I was really obsessed with Superheroes, like Marvel and DC. I used to go to conventions and dress up.
(Johnny) I used to be really interested in dancing. What's crazy is I can't do it anymore. Or, well, I can, but I refuse to. I used to be into Backstreet Boys and stand in front of the TV thinking I was one of them. It's just not the same anymore.
When are you the most zen?
SMiiLE:
(Harrison) I go and see a movie by myself like once a week at Alamo Drafthouse or Violet Crown. It's very peaceful. I go on Tuesdays, at like 2:00 pm and there's nobody there. There's something really calming about that.
(Johnny) When I listen back to something that we recorded is when I really get seriously focused and aware.
(Jake) When I'm in the shower.
(Mary) Sometimes when I'm swimming. Also, when I'm playing music.
(Miles) Five minutes into the set.
(Mary) It's this feeling of the audience being a wall, and you just don't even see them anymore. You don't see them anymore and you're really quiet. That's as close to God as you can get.
(Jake) I'm not zen the first three or four minutes into the set, though. I'm wildly nervous and then it melts away and I forget what I'm doing and blackout, and then it's over.
(Annie) The tequila hits!
SMiiLE, by Ami Plasse
If someone was writing the SMiiLE biography, what would this chapter be called?
SMiiLE:
(Jake) The Cusp. The Explosion.
(Harrison) The Switch Before The Spark.
(Jake) The band has been a concept for about two years, but the past four or five months feels like the first time we've ever solidified into a unit and our trajectory is clear and straight. I don't know what you'd call that. Before, it was preparation, four months ago was the kickoff, and now we're in the sprint.
(Annie) It would be called, I'm a Tiny Baby, But I'm Pretty Good at Music.
(Mary) We didn't have a solid lineup for the first two years. In fact, Miles and Annie are the only original members. I replaced someone, Harrison was the third base player, and Johnny was the third drummer. It's really hard to be a unit when people quit.
(Harrison) I feel like this one is in it to win it. We all see each other and know what we're doing.
(Mary) Johnny saved us. Johnny, how did we find you?
(Johnny) Craigslist.
(Miles) I wrote like, a novel of an ad. You have to meet every requirement under the sun. You have to have a car.
(Mary) Johnny was the only person who responded.
What gets an unfair amount of hate?
SMiiLE:
(Mary) The Kardashians.
(Johnny) Religion.
(Miles) I don't know, it's hard to say. I feel like all of the things that get hated deserve it.
What deserves more hate?
SMiiLE:
(Annie) College.
(Mary) Mean people.
(Harrison) Mean people always need more hate.
(Mary) Racists, homophobes.
(Miles) People need to be more vocal against bigots and oppressive forces.
