Features

For more than three decades, the Smoking Popes have carved out a singular space in the punk landscape, fusing raw energy with crooner charm. Now, the beloved Chicago band has returned with "Lovely Stuff," their first full-length studio album since 2018’s "Into The Agony." In our conversation with Josh Caterer, we dig into the making of "Lovely Stuff" and what it means to keep pushing forward in an increasingly chaotic world. Known for their fusion of punk grit and emotional vulnerability, the Smoking Popes continue to evolve without losing sight of the heartfelt melancholy that has always defined them. We talk songwriting, the album’s slow-burn process, and how a band that once released albums called "Born to Quit" and "Destination Failure" made something, well... entirely lovely.

PRT: You went in the studio in the summer of 2022 to record two songs. Was that already with the idea to start working on a new album?

Josh: Yes, making an album was the goal. We just didn’t have all the songs yet, but we didn’t want to wait, so we went ahead and started recording. We knew the songs would come. And they did.

PRT: You then returned to the studio every couple of months to record another couple of songs rather than recording the whole thing. Was that a comfortable way of working? Or did it come with its own set of challenges?

Josh: Working without a deadline is preferable, I think. It takes the pressure off. It also allows you to focus on the songs at hand and give them your full attention without rushing through anything. We’ve made albums the other way, where you go in with a whole album’s worth of songs and start plowing through them. I personally find that a little overwhelming. Making an album in bite-sized chunks is way better.

PRT: Judy Garland was a central figure on 'Into The Agony'. Is there a similar overarching influence on 'Lovely Stuff' that isn't obvious on first sight?

Josh: I didn’t approach this album with a theme in mind, but when I listen to it now, there are certain recurring ideas. There’s a kind of hopeful determination that seems to flow through some of these songs, like in "Golden Moment" and "Never Gonna Break". I think it reflects where I’m at emotionally these days.

PRT: I absolutely love the new songs, but my favorite would have to be 'Never Gonna Break'. Can you tell me a bit more about where that one came from?

Josh: I was asked to write a song for an independent film which hasn’t started production yet. I spoke with the director, Joselito Seldera. He described some of the themes of the film and asked if I could write something that would express what the main character might be feeling. I took some notes and sort of lived with the idea for a while and this song is what ended up coming out. Then I felt so inspired that I kept writing and ended up with more songs, so I feel like “Never Gonna Break” is really the starting point for the whole album. It set the tone for the rest of the songs.

PRT: Like the last couple of albums, you produced the new album yourselves. You probably feel comfortable in that role now, but did that immediately feel like the right way to go? Or were there moments where you questioned the decision?

Josh: We learned a lot from working with Jerry Finn, who produced "Destination Failure". He helped us understand certain things about how to make an album, about pre-production and how to arrange songs effectively, and we’ve been able to employ those principles on all the albums we’ve made since then. All we need is a good engineer and we’re very comfortable producing our own stuff. I expect we’ll be self-produced from here on out. 

PRT: 'Lovely Stuff' is the first Smoking Popes album with a positive name. Is it meant as a way to counter all the negativity that is around nowadays?

Josh: The title comes from an experience we had on tour last year. We were in the UK, playing a little club called the Salty Dog in Northwich, England. In between songs the whole audience started chanting “Lovely stuff! Lovely stuff!” I guess it was their way of expressing how they felt about our music as a whole and it became this really incredible moment. It was so British! Where else on earth would people chant those particular words? It really stuck with us and we wanted to immortalize the sentiment by naming the album after it.  

PRT: How hard is it to keep focusing on the lovely stuff in the US right now?

Josh: It depends on how much your immerse yourself in the political situation. It’s possible to become really consumed, really overwhelmed by it all, so it’s important not to let that happen. You have to be intentional about preserving your own ability to appreciate what is beautiful around you, which means you’ve gotta unplug sometimes. I’m trying to do that enough to stay sane, while still keeping up with what’s going on. 

PRT: Following the elections, you released the non-album single “Allegiance”. You wrote and recorded that one really fast. How did Local H's Scott Lucas come to be involved?

Josh: We’ve known Scott for many years but never recorded with him before, so it was really cool to finally get a chance to do that. It just seemed like his voice would be perfect for this song, so I texted him and said, “Hey, I wrote an anti-Trump protest song. You wanna sing on it?” and he was like “Hell yeah!” and that was it. 

PRT: You recently re-recorded 'Born To Quit' in front of a live audience to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary. What was it like to revisit that album as a whole?

Josh: It was delightful. We did the session at Bombsight Studio in Bloomington, which is a couple hours south of Chicago. People came from all over the place, different parts of the country, there was even one guy from Ireland there. These were people who obviously loved the album so there was a very special kind of energy in the room and it gave a magical feeling to the whole event. 

PRT: Having been a band for over 30 years now, how has the role that the band takes up in your life changed over time?

Josh: It has evolved a lot. The band was a full-time thing in the 90’s, then we broke up for 7 years, got back together, did it full-time again for a few years, then slowed it down to a part-time thing, played maybe 15 shows a year, mostly around the Midwest. It was like that for several years, but over the last couple years we’ve started ramping things up again. Once my youngest kid graduated from high school, I was ready to hit the road again. I missed it.

PRT: Does it feel like it has been over 30 years? Or does that ever take you by surprise?

Josh: Time is very strange. It all feels like it happened last week, but it also feels like a lifetime ago. I try not to be too nostalgic about it. The important thing is to stay focused on what’s happening now, to be present in the moment. 

PRT: What's up next for Smoking Popes once the new album is out?

Josh: We’re doing a tour with OFF WITH THEIR HEADS in the spring and a tour with BAYSIDE in the summer. There are tour plans in the fall but I can’t announce those yet. The idea is just to keep moving.