Interview: Brennan Smiley of The Technicolors

Jasmine Garcia

The Technicolors

November 22, 2014

 

The newest addition to the 8123 family, The Technicolors have a vibrant sound that stems from its influences in the Brit-Pop era. The band’s frontman, Brennan Smiley set out to join Nick Santino on The Long & Winding Roadshow Tour to perform songs acoustically as a solo act. The band has a lot of exciting things coming up this next year –  along with the recently released single titled, “Please Don’t Say You Told Me So” – and USD Radio talked to Smiley about the coming changes.

 

Question: So it’s been a few months since The Technicolors were announced their addition to the 8123 family, how has the reception been?

Brennan Smiley: It’s been really cool. It’s definitely been a change of pace for us. It’s just really fun to be exposed to a new group of people, and it just gives a different kind of energy to everything. So it’s been really great.

Q: And have you seen a difference in your fan base – like the types of people that have been reaching out to you?

BS: Yeah, just a lot of people that are excited about music, and new music. I think in today’s day and age, it can be hard to reach people, so it’s cool to have that communication and connection with people that are equally as excited as we are.

Q: How long was the timespan with figuring out everything with 8123 to the actual addition to 8123?

BS: It was a few months, maybe around four or five months since the initial talking starting happening. It happened very naturally because we’re friends with a lot of people in that world. We were kind of looking for the next step, and it was just something that happened.

Q: What’s been a highlight city of this tour?

BS: I had never played in Toronto before, so that was probably my favorite show. Either that or Denver. There were barely any people at the Denver show, and it was just so much fun. It was one of those shows – it was so intimate, so close, and that was a good time. But Toronto was cool because it feels like people embrace music differently over there.

Q: Who would you say influences your music?

BS: I’m a big fan of the Brit-pop bands from the 90’s. I think even more so, what that movement was – what was going on in that country, and how the music was reflecting that change in things. Also, I grew up listening to Zeppelin, The Beatles, and that kind of stuff. Those were the kinds of bands that sparked that desire to play music and be a musician.

Q: Are you working on new music right now?

BS: After this tour, we go back home and we’re working a batch of songs. We’re going to try to finish them up when we get back.

Q: When would the new music be released?

BS: Probably early next year. Not too long, it’ll be pretty soon.

Q: Now that you’re signed with 8123, are you approaching this new music differently?

BS: No. I think anytime we make new music, we’re trying to take a stab at it from a different direction, and trying to challenge ourselves. So it’s nothing specifically influenced by 8123 necessarily because we’re always trying to change our influences musically. And I think this batch we’re working on now is definitely way different than the last record that we put out, but it’s because that’s just the way that we like to work.

Q: What’s a dream country you’d like to tour in?

BS: We haven’t toured in the UK yet, so I’d definitely like to do that. I think with all the music history there, and growing up being heavily influenced by music that came out from that part of the world, I can’t wait until we get to play music over there.

Q: Who’s someone that you’d like to tour with?

BS: I think it’d be so cool to tour with Bruce Springsteen. That’d be pretty awesome.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Southern California?

BS: The smell of it. I don’t know, it’s just so distinct. It smells like…freedom. There’s just something in the air, maybe it’s the ocean.

Q: Think of an iPhone emoji. Which one describes your life right now?

BS: I don’t really know those very well because I use the milk one and…I think that’s it. I only every use the milk one, so the milk one.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

BS: I’m trying to think of the last time I received advice. I feel like I really want to say, “Follow your dreams!” Let’s just go with that, I know I’ve heard that as a kid.

Q: What are you looking forward to coming into this next year?

BS: I’m looking forward to putting some tunes out and touring, and getting out there in full band.