Smoke Ring Days, whose latest offering Higher Ground (Redux) is making rock n’ roll waves, talked with Happy about life and experiences
All the way from New York, Smoke Ring Days are creating a magnetic blend of spiritually infused rock that breaks down borders between genre and mood.
Their latest album, Higher Ground (Redux), is a sonically delightful collection, telling stories of connection, selfhood, resilience and intimacy.
Growing up and experiencing the joy of the ‘60s and ‘70s, Smoke Ring Days are influenced by a bit of everything, from the likes of Motown and blues-rock to the grooviness of glam and dance music.
Sharing their advice to budding musicians and the lessons they’ve learnt along the way, Smoke Ring Days are full of stories, and you can check them out below.
HAPPY: What are you up to today?
SRD: We’re actually kinda busy responding to some questions from Happy Mag – oh, wait, that’s what you’re reading now!!
Yeah, that’s what we’re doing. A good impetus for a bit of introspection; helps one keep things in much-needed perspective.
HAPPY: Tell us a bit about where you’re living and what you love about it.
SRD: We both live in New York, less than an hour outside the city, which, locally, means Manhattan. Being in close proximity provides easy access to a multitude of diverse cultural events and institutions, from live music down in the Village to up in Harlem, museum installations, street art, and celebrations of every stripe.
Where we live on Long Island is right near the Atlantic Ocean, so we have beautiful beaches and wooded parks nearby, and working farms and wineries a bit farther out, all of which connect us to nature and help promote a peaceful state of mind – very beneficial, especially these days.
HAPPY: Smoke Ring Days has such a distinctive sound, blending spiritual rock with psychedelia and Americana. How did the band come together, and how did you develop your unique style?
SRD: After playing together in a copy band as teenagers, we each did our own thing in other groups for a few years, then began writing and recording together as a duo, which seemed natural, as we were great friends who’d both studied music at college, and were committed to creating something uniquely ours.
While we share an affinity for certain genres, between us, our musical tastes span a wide gamut, so we’re fortunate to be mutually open to exploring whatever each of us is inspired by at the moment.
And, as it would be a bit boring for us to do only one type of music, toggling between or blending styles seems to feed our creative jones nicely.
HAPPY: You’ve been known to blend genres in a way that feels fresh and timeless. What kind of musical influences shaped your sound growing up?
SRD: We grew up in a true renaissance time of musical creativity, full of instrumental evolution in playing and sociopolitical influences coloring much of what was being written.
The late ’60s and ’70s were incredible times to be listening to radio, watching bands on television, going to live shows, and playing LPs until they were scratchy and skipping.
The British invasion, American rock bands, singer-songwriters from all over, Motown and Muscle Shoals, blues-rock, glam, dance music, prog and new wave were the soundtrack of our adolescence. While we both like much of the same music, we each have our faves and guilty pleasures.
So, lots of colors in the crayon box with which to create, which we use in Smoke Ring Days, as well as for our side projects, SpiceHouse and Sinfonia Electronique, where we infuse world and electronic/avant garde music into more complex musical forms.
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HAPPY: Your album, Higher Ground (Redux), touches on a lot of emotional themes. Can you share what personal experiences or events inspired the album?
SRD: As writing and playing music are such cathartic, effective forms of processing emotion, especially in times of personal challenge, many of the songs were written in response to our own experiences, or those of friends or family, either in an effort to make sense of and work through a difficult time or to offer support to a loved one who needed to not feel so alone where they were at.
Others were composed as commentary on current events which we felt compelled to respond to as a form of social responsibility – a collective fist raised in protest, set to an evocative beat.
HAPPY: There’s a spiritual undertone in a lot of your work. Do you see music as a form of connection to something greater, whether it’s community or a higher power?
SRD: While we’re in no way proponents of any particular religious affiliation, we both believe in the spiritual power of human connection. Life can be tough, and the world is a hard place for so many people, for so many different reasons.
It’s not easy to keep hope alive sometimes. So we try to bring some positivity into what we do as songwriters and as a band, 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 togetherness to lessen people’s isolation and let them know they’re not alone in their feelings.
Whether it’s the simple joy of dancing to a groovin’ tune or finding solace in an introspective song that gets you to a better place during a difficult period, music has always had that power, so we simply try our best to plug into it.
HAPPY: How has the songwriting process evolved for you over the years? Has the way you approach making music changed since the band first started?
SRD: Absolutely. From a technical standpoint, after years of working together, we’ve grown to trust one another’s instincts, and our writing process has become far more collaborative. Interestingly, this is a bit of a juxtaposition to the way we record, which has become more compartmentalized in an effort to optimize time.
While we could both run an analog board and equipment, when we switched to digital, Rick took over engineering, so though he can lay down an instrumental bed solo, recording vocals is done with him at the computer and Cindy at the mic.
But we each have ‘veto power,’ so the finished product is always one we’ve mutually agreed upon. Content-wise, as we’ve grown as people, our music has also expanded, thematically and musically. With a greater richness of life experience, we have more to pull from, so more to put back into the music.
HAPPY: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring musicians who are just starting to find their own voice?
SRD: Listen to a diversity of music. Even if you are not crazy about a certain genre, if you dig deep enough, you will find something that resonates with you. Listening is studying, learning from those who came before you.
Know the history of what it is you seek to be a part of. Write as often as you can, and familiarize yourself with music theory. This will provide you with a considerable pool of ideas, and best allow you to develop your own singular style.
Importantly, don’t let other people’s expectations of you shape who you become. Stay clear to your vision as much as you can. Have faith in what you do, but don’t be afraid to fail – and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
You don’t have to be the most beautiful, the most polished, the most whatever the media is currently touting. You just need to be the best version of yourself, and then try to find a place for that in the world. There are so many ways to make a rewarding life as a musician!!
HAPPY: What’s the most rewarding part of being in Smoke Ring Days? Is it the creative freedom, the fans, or something else entirely?
SRD: The satisfaction of creating something uniquely ours that goes on to connect with others in a way that feels universal, in some small way uniting disparate individuals with humanity and inclusivity.
We believe it was John Mellencamp who once said if he wasn’t a songwriter, he would be a carpenter, because he thought making things was one of the best things to do in life. For us, building bridges that we hope will go on to outlast us is what brings us the greatest reward.
HAPPY: Looking ahead, what can we expect from Smoke Ring Days in the future? Any exciting projects or new directions you’re exploring as a band?
SRD: We have a new album slated for an early 2025 release and a just-out song and video, ‘Wishin’ You Were Here,’ which will be included in that collection.
And, since we’re always looking for new avenues to explore, we’re hoping to surprise both ourselves and listeners with what we come up with next, so stay tuned in and keep an ear out for us in the future!!
HAPPY: What makes you happy?
SRD: Finding a good place inside ourselves to live in.
