Photo : Meredith Goldberg
March 2025 • Volume 51 , Number 6 • www . illinoisentertainer . com
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COVER STORY : SMOKING POPES hen Smoking Popes entered Solid Sound Studios in Hoffman Estates in 1994 to record the follow-up to their debut album Get Fired , there were no expectations . There was no pressure from the label to deliver a “ hit record .” They just had a bunch of songs they wanted to record . So , they made a record they wanted to with one goal in mind : to have fun . They had no idea that the result would be their breakthrough album , Born to Quit .
Josh Caterer hopes to recapture some of that magic on tour this spring when they perform Born To Quit in full , along with songs from their upcoming album , Lovely Stuff , out April 4 . Though it was made 30 years after their breakthrough record , the album ' s spirit is the same . Similar to their early DIY days , they entered the studio with no expectations , no deadlines to live up to , no pressure from outside voices . Instead , they wrote and recorded the album two songs at a time over two years . “ This one took a long time to make because we would take longer breaks between sessions . Considering that was our approach to recording , I think the final product is surprisingly cohesive ,” says Caterer . “ When I listen to all the songs together now , they feel like they ' re meant to be together . Maybe that just says something about where we ' re at as a band these days .”
They could work at their own pace until they were satisfied with the record . Maybe this is why the band sounds so revitalized , energetic , and upbeat on their eighth record . It doesn ’ t sound like you ’ re listening to a world-weary band that has been through the wringer . Instead , the band sounds even more lively and vibrant than they did 30 years ago . “ We ' ve figured out how to work well together and encourage each other to be creative . I think our music has become more interesting to listen to over the years because we ' re putting more nuances into the songs as far as instrumentation and the way we play . I ' m excited about it . I ' m proud of it .”
IE ’ s Ashley Perez-Hollingsworth spoke to Caterer and has our Cover Story .
PAGE 20 : SMOKING POPES
Rock Of Pages
Tragically Hip book reviewed .
Spins
Verboten , Rush , Dream Theater .
CinemaScopes
March Films and Streams .
Media
Flipside Records Rewind .
Calendar
1450 shows and 3800 bands , it ’ s IE ’ s live music calendar .
Classifieds
Music services , musicians and more .
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