This week on Kaleidoscope, WYSO music director spoke with Kyle Melton, songwriter and lead singer of Smug Brothers. The band released their latest album, In the Book of Bad Ideas, on September 8, 2023. In the interview, Kyle describes the band’s workflow, and talks about how his songwriting has adapted to personnel changes in the group. The current lineup features Kyle Melton on lead vocals and guitar, Don Thrasher on drums, Kyle Sowash on bass, and Scott Tribble and Ryan Shaffer on guitar.
According to Melton, In the Book of Bad Ideas was produced in much the same way as previous Smug Brothers albums, with the musicians remotely adding layers to a basic track recorded by he and Don Thrasher. Yet, sonically, the album is a departure from the band’s prior work. It features longer songs–some stretching past the 5-minute mark, a first for the band–and extended solo breaks. Melton attributed this shift in sound largely to the input of Scott Tribble:
“With this new album, In the Book of Bad Ideas—when we started out, Scott was in the group, and he had been doing a lot of interesting guitar stuff. He and I both were doing more traditional solo breaks, so in putting the songs together, there was more space for stuff like that, whereas 5 or 10 years ago, I didn’t leave that kind of space.”
Melton talked about the balance of maintaining a consistent musical style from album to album, while also allowing the band’s sound to shift and remain fresh. Although Scott Tribble came from a different background than the other players, Melton said that his introduction to the band added a much-needed energy:
“Scott didn’t really come from the same interest points that Don and Kyle and I come from. He definitely brought a different slant and did his thing, but it enhanced it in a way I never would have thought to enhance it. I’m more than willing to run those risks and let the musicians take it where they want to go. Trust the process.”
In the Book of Bad Ideas was released by Columbus label Anyway Records on September 8th. The album is available on Bandcamp or on streaming services. Smug Brothers will perform at Blind Bob’s in Dayton on Septembers 23, alongside Salvadore Ross and Trauma Illinois. For a full list of upcoming shows, find Smug Brothers on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
