The first composite solid rocket fuel that eventually launched spaceships was made with asphalt, effectively paving the way to the moon. Dashboard Heat, the newest record by Seattle stalwarts Smokey Brights, embodies this funny little fact, using tough truths to slip the surly bonds of earth and, through hardship, touch the stars. Members Kim West (vocals/keys), Ryan Devlin (vocals/guitars), Luke Ragnar (bass/vocals), and Nick Krivchenia (drums) have crafted a ramshackle rocket of a record that touches upon cars, celestial forces, childhood homes, light and hope, darkness and grief. Produced by Andy D. Park in exchange for Ryan painting his recording studio, the album sees the band sonically shooting for the solar system while staying true to their grounded take on songcraft that has made them a mainstay of the Northwest scene.
Smokey Brights have no intention of slowing down for the release of their fifth LP, Dashboard Heat. Recently, they filmed a stripped-down, sold-out two-night stand at Seattle’s Rabbit Box Theater, debuting the new record in its entirety. Even the physical record of Dashboard Heat is ambitious, stretching the terrene boundaries of vinyl into the celestial. The cover art from Brazilian surrealist illustrator Bruno Cesar features an Easter Egg for every song on the record, while the accompanying lyrical comic book sees Cesar sending the band on a trip through the silver age stars. Smokey Brights will be supporting all this astral ambition with terrestrial touring, hitting both coasts, the Southwest and the Northwest in fall 2025.
Case in point is the music video for “All in Who You Know,” directed by frequent collaborator Travis Trautt, features the band fresh off a performance at the Moscow Ren Faire, engaged in an epic quest for a mythical object of dazzling power. Today, Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of the video. Musically, the song is a fuzzy and stomping rocker in the vein of bravado-loaded 70s bands. Putting Kim West’s infectious vocals in the spotlight, the song finds the band evolving into guitar-driven, arena-ready rock and roll greatness. There is plenty of shredding, keytar synth blowouts, and soaring harmonies to complement the fantastical video and make for one of this band’s most impressive songs to date.
The band describes the inspiration behind the tune:
“If corporations are destroying the world, but people make up the corporations, what if the people helped each other? Smokey Brights’ heater of a first single from their anticipated new album, Dashboard Heat, posits just such a proposition. The world’s first anthem for mutual aid via petty theft, this synth-laden banger punches up at celebrities and egg barons and reminds us that the power to push back lies in small acts of resistance that can happen anywhere, even the grocery store checkout line.”
WATCH:
