News

Revered Chicago indie rock/punk luminaries SMOKING POPES are celebrating the upcoming 30th anniversary of their seminal, sophomore album, 'Born To Quit,' with a live re-recording of the album dubbed 'Born To Quit Live Session' due out September 27th via Anxious & Angry (pre-order). Recorded in front of a live audience at Bombsight Recording Studio in Bloomington, IL, the record features all 10 original tracks performed live, some for the first time in years.

Founding vocalist/guitarist Josh Caterer says of the record:

"For us, there's something magical about playing this album from start to finish because it puts the songs in their proper context. Songs like Need You Around and Rubella that we've been playing at every show for years, you tend to think of those as singles, but they're really part of a larger thing, like pieces of a puzzle. To see the whole puzzle at once is pretty cool. That's what made this recording such a special experience. I think everyone there, the band and the audience, we all felt it."

First revealed at BrooklynVegan, SMOKING POPES have released the first single from the record and beloved deep cut "On The Shoulder." Find the track on all streaming services and watch the live session video below. Adding about the song, Caterer says: "Eli wrote the music for this one. It's such a beautiful guitar riff, really fun to play, but it's always been a deep cut and we haven't included it in our live set very often, so I'm glad this song is finally getting some attention. The new version feels pretty vibrant to me."