There has never been a shortage of rock and roll bands, but it’s safe to say there is a shortage of bands taking a fresh approach to the genre at this point in time. Seattle quintet Smokey Brights, on the other hand, are doing exactly that. On their upcoming sophomore full-length studio album Hot Candy, out October 21 on Freakout Records, the group demonstrates a seamless, natural chemistry that is tight and precise on a level that makes them come across as seasoned pros. With elements of funk, prog rock, and pop, Smokey Brights pull their own sound out of a lineage of iconic inspirations ranging from David Bowie and Styx to the Flaming Lips and Wilco. All of this is the work of two married singers, a wiz of a lead guitarist, and one of the finest rhythm sections in Seattle.
Today we are presenting an exclusive listen of the first single off Hot Candy, “In Demand”, right here on Glide Magazine. The song has a heavy groove that is heightened by the group’s punchy vocal harmonies, and it is both a fist-pumping rock anthem and a brazen indictment of Internet-driven overconsumption. That may sounded like a lot to take in, but the members of Smokey Brights are quick to remind us that, ultimately, their music is meant to make you happy and make you want to dance.
The band sums up their approach to “In Demand” and their musical philosophy as a whole: “Look, Smokey Brights aren’t here to bum you out. We want you to dance. Especially to this Michael-Jackson-meets-prog-rock disco-fantasy of a track, ‘In Demand.’ However, if you lean into the lyrics, you’ll recognize that under this groove lies some pretty heavy stuff. These are interesting times we’re all living in, to say the least, and we try to capture some of that in our songs.
There are a lot of ugly facets to getting what we want as consumers, and, even though most of us are aware of them, we rarely piece them all together. It’s a lot to juggle mentally, and, when you get down to it, it’s an awful lot of human suffering on tap when you order your underwear via Amazon Prime. Again, interesting times.
When listening to ‘In Demand,’ you can think about all of this. Or you can dance. Or you can do both, then get up in the morning and do something about it, which is what we really hope this song inspires.”
LISTEN:
Hot Candy will be out October 21 on Freakout Records. For more info visit smokeybrights.com.
Photo credit: Andrew JS
