Smoke Ring Days, whose latest album is soaring through the rock n’ roll scene, took us through the inspo behind their hard-hitting tracks
Higher Ground (Redux) is the ninth album release from Smoke Ring Days, whose expansive music career spans all the way back to the turn of the century.
Taking us through each of their favourite tracks, Smoke Ring Days runs us through the inspiration and deeper meanings behind some of their most beloved work.
Check out what they had to say below.
As songwriters and musicians, Smoke Ring Days has long focused on bringing some positivity to what we do, to be where people are at while focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel, and to put out a message of optimism and solidarity.
Along the way, we’ve amassed a few faves that still resonate with us, so thought we’d share, in the hope that they hold something for you, too.
Things Are Gonna Get Better
Authored in the aftermath of an unexpected and emotional encounter, “Things Are Gonna Get Better” traverses the types of loss we live through in a lifetime, experiences we can come to integrate in order to move forward – or so we hope.
Both uncertain yet sure in its conviction, the song implores those who find themselves bereft, in life or in love, to ‘have a little faith in faith alone,’ in order to find the strength and solace we all long for.
Peace in My Soul
“Peace in My Soul” was written in response to the everyday, ongoing challenges of life in the world around us, as, at any given time, there’s a helluva lot going on to wrap your head around. The impetus behind its creation was to serve up a little slice of soul salvation, hoping to promulgate positivity in both ourselves and others to help all get through life’s more difficult days.
With introspective, socially-aware lyrics, “Peace in My Soul” is all about focusing on what matters most, and finding your own place on this planet from which to simply be.
Prisoner
A song that, for us, holds incredible power, both musically and lyrically, we wrote “Prisoner” in an effort to shed light on those currently captive to the darkness, in hopes of calling attention, with urgency, empathy and compassion, to the need to increase awareness of and normalize all who struggle with the illness of addiction.
The Distance Between Us
Referencing gun violence, racism, xenophobia, and poor leadership decisions, fatal flaws rapidly metastasizing into a global othering that keeps us from recognizing our innate commonalities, “The Distance Between Us” focuses on the fear-fueled rhetoric far too many embrace, imploring us to ‘wake up ‘fore it’s too late.’
Rabbit Hole
Adopting imagery from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and infusing it with a dose from Dr. Tim’s dropper, ‘Rabbit Hole’ offers a trippy aural exploration into the intoxicating impact of falling in love, sweeping the listener along in the undulating, emotional experience of infatuation that surrenders to the surreal, sans clarity or caution.
New Year’s Song (In This New Year)
Anthemic, universal and emotionally evocative, with words of heartbreak, hope and healing, “New Year’s Song (In This New Year)” is filled with year-round yearning for a world in which we may one day all be ‘friend-not-foe.’
With a shanty of a sing-along chorus inviting listeners to join in embracing its simple-yet-profound message of unity and peace, we penned this one as a poignant plea to work together toward better days for all.
What About Me
Both paying homage to the amazing original by Dino Valenti and augmenting its powerful message with the addition of lyrics reflecting the present moment, our take on the 1970 Quicksilver Messenger Service classic addresses issues including environmental crises, media control, lack of veterans services, and religious persecution.
“What About Me” is a timeless and timely cry for recognition and empowerment for all those overlooked and under-appreciated in our world.
Badlands Suite: Jump in the Water/Bonnie and Clyde (On the Run)
Tracing the trajectory of infamous outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, 1930s folk hero fugitives of the American Dustbowl, the song cycle follows the duo from their fateful first meeting to their violent demise in a carefully-choreographed ambush.
A searing slice of Americana, the suite’s arrangement escalates in intensity, much like the actions of the Barrow Gang themselves.
Silent City
Thirty-eight years on, the tragedy of Chernobyl continues to resonate for all those impacted, and as a cautionary lesson that should not be lost to history.
With a moving narrative and rarely-seen footage of the exclusion zone, “Silent City” pays tribute to those whose selfless sacrifice saved countless others from certain death. Their memory lives on in all who mourn them still.
Oil
A cross-pollination between Smoke Ring Days and spin-off band SpiceHouse, “Oil” is an exploration of exploitation and expandability.
Utilizing Middle Eastern scales and syncopated rhythms, and driven by an ominous bass line throughout, the song is equal parts lulling and lambasting, an unequivocal indictment of global greed and its ugly underbelly.
Triangle Shirtwaste Factory
Incorporating flourishes of violin and accordion, in keeping with the instrumentation typical to the Eastern European and Italian heritages of many who died that day, the song is a musical retelling of the tragically preventable NYC sweatshop fire whose aftermath helped shape the future of workers’ rights and labor practices.
Memorializing that day through the medium of music seeks to give meaning to a senseless crime, the result of what can happen when humanity is devalued for the sake of corporate profit.
Home (Big Bertha)
Inspired by journalist Jeff Tietz’ evocative piece ‘The Fallen’ in Rolling Stone magazine, ‘Home (Big Bertha)’ is a timely reminder that where we now sit is but a precarious perch, and that many pay a steep penalty for the crime of being poor.
Both the article and the song share a common goal: illuminating the plight of an increasingly growing number of marginalized members within our society that many would prefer to let languish in darkness.
The Gathering Storm
Written in response to exponentially-expanding political divides, both domestically and worldwide, ‘The Gathering Storm’ asks the seemingly unanswerable: how can there be harmony when so much madness abounds?
Acknowledging the apathy that can come with feeling disempowered, the song nevertheless implores us all, even in the face of chaos, to hang onto hope and unite to make change.
Where Do I Go On Monday
Unadulterated Americana, both musically and thematically, yet universally relatable, the song searingly and saliently speaks to and for all who have lost the ability to support themselves and their loved ones, due to capitalist interests forsaking communities along the backbone of their businesses, in favor of the financial gain of off-shoring work to more easily exploit others.
Walking on Eggshells
An ode to the emotional agility needed to navigate certain interpersonal relationships, ‘Walking on Eggshells’ speaks to the challenge of coexisting with combustible personalities with both empathy and self-preservation.
Poisoning the Well
A musical enumeration of that which keeps us from focusing on what is truly of consequence in favor of abdicating control of our communities and countries, ‘Poisoning the Well’ explores the consequences of buying into alternative facts rather than trafficking in truth, engaging in celebrity worship as opposed to encouraging character building, as well as plundering our planet and dealing in climate change denial.
Sleeping with Open Eyes
Traversing the literal and the metaphoric, this catchiest of Cold War-themed songs adeptly examines both personal and international relations, including their shared characteristics of fear, distrust and, ultimately, hope.
