Shooting out of Muncie, Indiana like a cannon blast, Holy Smokes are a soulful garage rock trio on a mission to push back against modern life with their raw and rebellious debut album, Too Young To Die, out now via Mint 400 Records. The 11-track release pairs stripped-down, analog production and gloomy, defiant lyrics with bouncy rhythms, catchy melodies, and an infectious energy that recalls The Velvet Underground, The Kinks, The Stooges, and early Motown. Recorded live to tape and kept intentionally simple and gritty, the album reflects singer and songwriter Jamie Fallon’s resistance to technology, social expectations, and the noise of contemporary culture. With their highly danceable rhythm section, spitfire guitar work, and powerful vocal harmonies, Holy Smokes are less interested in chasing trends than in igniting a back-to-basics rock & roll revolution—making this the perfect moment to sit down with the band and talk about where they’ve been and where they’re headed next.
How did the band form and what does the band name mean?
After years of working as a studio musician & producer, I decided I wanted to start a rock & roll band that reminded me of the punk rock bands I played in as a kid. After convincing T to learn how to play bass & sing backups, we went through a half-dozen drummers before finding Judi, who also happens to be our neighbor.
The name is pretty self-explanatory - it represents an excitement that we feel is lacking in today’s music.
Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?
Previously, I composed & produced music for other artists, films, etc. as a career, but I began to resent the industry & the people in it who I felt were lacking in talent & originality. I grew up on the soul music my parents played in the house & later got into punk rock through friends at school. I actually started playing instruments at 2 years old & my parents always made sure we had a place to play growing up. T has only been playing bass & singing for a few years - she picked it up really fast. I believe Judi has been playing her whole life as well & is very talented. She plays multiple instruments & is a great writer for her other bands & solo projects.
First concert that you ever went to?
Jamie - Spyro Gyra
T - Metallica
Judi - Green Day (Dookie Tour)
What's your writing process like?
Usually something makes me mad or I hear an interesting phrase somewhere that makes me want to pick up the guitar. The songs come fast & then we work out the arrangements in the practice room. A lot of the songs come well after midnight & I take as much as the moment gives me - never laboring over it or forcing anything.
What other artists or songs inspire your music?
We love 60s soul & early punk rock. The Velvet Underground, The Small Faces, The Kinks & The Stooges were big for us during the making of this album. Same for Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, etc. We also listened to a nice mono copy of The Music Machine “Turn On” a lot during this era.
What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?
So far we’ve only played dive bars which is fun in its own way, but not our favorite.I don’t think live music needs to be the same as on record, but I also don’t like records that have too much extra stuff you can’t recreate live. A guitar overdub or a tambourine is cool, maybe some extra backups, but if you have 10 instruments on the album & only 3 for the show, it doesn’t make sense. Regarding improvisation, as a Velvet Underground fan, of course we love those extended jams, but we are more of a get in & get out band right now, like the Ramones. Our shows are about the energy & not talking too much between songs.
Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?
Again, we are just getting this thing going, so just dive bars to date. We look forward to touring as soon as possible.
What's up next for the band?
The writing is done for our second album so we will be recording that soon. We look forward to playing out as much as we can after that & continuing on the path to world domination!