We were lucky to catch up with The Smokeshows recently and have shared our conversation below.
The Smokeshows, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
BRENDAN KRIEG: I knew the first time I played a drum set in elementary school. I sat down at the kit and my teacher had me play kick, snare, kick, snare. My adrenaline went through the roof, and I never really looked back after that. I was hooked.
ASH NOLAN: For me, it was kind of always there. I would perform for my family in my expertly built pillow forts. I did school plays. Anything to be able to perform. My sister introduced me to rock and roll and musical theatre when I was 8 years old. It was Rocky Horror Picture Show, Chicago, and “Dreamer” by Supertramp that really sold me.
LANDON MATHENY: I knew I wanted to pursue a creative path after a pop art project in high school art class. I loved being able to manifest ideas that otherwise would’ve been passing thoughts.
AUDREY TESS: Pretty young. Both my parents were performers; my dad was a standup comic and my mom was a painter and an opera singer, so it was only natural for me to feel drawn to the arts from an early age. Pair that with being planted in an alternative style school that embraced and encouraged the arts more heavily than other schools around me. It was the inevitable path that was laid out for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The Smokeshows was formed in 2019. Brendan Krieg and I (Ash Nolan) were working at Flamingo Cocktail Club together in Nashville. One day we were outside talking and I asked Brendan about his knuckle tattoos which read “1234 ride.” And he said that he’s a drummer, to which I responded “Do you want to be in my band?” And he said “Yeah, what’s your band?” To which I replied, “I don’t have one.”
So we decided we were going to write together to see what would happen. I came with a bunch of ideas, a lot of lyrics. I mean, I can write on keys, but Brendan really helped me really flesh them out on guitar. Brendan had a few songs that he was working on, and he asked me to put a voice to them. That first write led to a second, and I think we probably had two out of three of our first singles by the second write. We just mesh so well together, and know how to communicate our ideas.
Our boss was putting together a night to showcase local artists, and asked us if we wanted to play. We gave the green light, but we still didn’t have a full band. And these are rock songs. And that’s where the twins came in. Laura and Izzy Solomon came into the fold maybe 2 months before the gig, and brought exactly the energy we needed. They have a punk band called Heinous Orca, so they definitely had that grit to them.
We put out our first three singles in December of 2019 that we recorded in Athens, GA. Three barn burners that pay tribute to the blues, glam rock, and the spectrum of human emotion. That’s what we’re about. Not gimmicky songs with traditional structure. At the very least, we’re honest.
Today, we have since parted ways with the twins, and we have brought in two incredible players for our rhythm section. Audrey Tess and Landon Matheny came to us in 2022. There is something electric about the two of them that brought some new dimension to our sound and elevated it.
“With the worst of the pandemic blues firmly in their rearview mirror, The Smokeshows continue to deliver an electrifying live experience. I first encountered the group at the legendary garage turned music venue the Mouthhole in 2019 and was blown away by their explosive vitality. Lead singer Ash Nolan is a fire-breathing rock ’n’ roll siren, wailing and shrieking with sensual ferocity that would make PJ Harvey’s toes curl. Her captivating vocals soar over the band’s most recent single “I Know,” released in 2021. Anchored by guitarist Brendan Krieg’s heavy and haunting riffs — à la Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Jane’s Addiction — The Smokeshows deliver psychedelia with a gut punch.” JASON VERSTEGEN – The Nashville Scene
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
BRENDAN KRIEG: Still working on it. Giving up drugs and alcohol almost three years ago has been a step towards unlearning lessons and creating the space for change in my life. But it’s still a struggle every day.
ASH NOLAN: I think a lot was unlocked in me when I left the church. You learn to not trust yourself. When you’re told you’re broken all the time, you really start to believe it. I feel there were a lot of things in the way that I had to really fight against to be able to really see myself myself. When I left the church, I had finally had to take responsibility for myself and honor my body and my intuition by listening to it. I am not broken or inherently bad, I am whole and I am human.
LANDON MATHENY: Art is not about talent or technical ability. All of my favorite artists use basic techniques to convey a complex emotion, rather than using complex techniques to showcase their technical ability,
AUDREY TESS: Probably that failing is a bad thing. I can’t name a specific backstory, but there have been several experiences in my life where I was so afraid of doing something for fear of failing. It prevented me from doing anything at all. I would just be stuck or frozen. I’ve had to work hard to re-wire my brain to just say “fuck it” when approaching something that’s scary or uncomfortable. I if I fail or something shitty happens, it’s not the end of the world – and I actually end up gaining for confidence, especially with drumming.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
BRENDAN KRIEG: I don’t subscribe to the terms creatives and non-creatives. Everybody is creative. Everyone alive has to apply a heavy amount of left brain vision to get dressed in the morning. We’re all struggling in our journey.
ASH NOLAN: I absolutely agree with Brendan. So many people sell themselves short and think that they could never pick up an instrument or do a watercolor painting or write something, and I think that this stems from the idea that you have to be a fucking master at it or monetize it. I always think about how many people feel suppressed by this warped view of what creativity is. Some people dedicate their lives to honoring what is inherently inside them, some people don’t, and that’s okay.
LANDON MATHENY: I think non-creatives would have a hard time understanding why an artist would stray from the comfort of complacency in order to pursue something bigger than themselves.
AUDREY TESS: I kind of agree with Brendan here – we’re all artist by design. But I guess for someone a bit less artistically inclines or creatively ignorant, they would maybe view pursuing creative endeavors as silly or delusional. Since it can be rough to make a “good living” that way. I don’t know. Societally, we’ve been conditioned to perceive artists or creatives as “struggling”.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmokeshowsband/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUGO9iiIMrASZcPivtE8JXw
Image Credits
Pink w/ wigs: Photog: Jon Karr Styling, HMUA, & Art Direction: Lo Lopez Assist: Roya Kennedy Action shots: Jon Karr & Hannah Laney