Words: Susie Ulrey

Photo: Gavin Gould

The first time I heard the Smoking Popes was in the mid-'90s, right around the time they toured with Jawbreaker. It was prefaced with the statement, “Yeah, the singer sounds like Morrissey.”  And they even received this famed quote from the Moz himself (about their debut release): “I bought the album, and I just thought it was extraordinary — the most lovable thing I’d heard for years.” With that kind of an endorsement, I expected to hear a swaggering, tortured Brit whining about his existence in catchy pop songs. Instead I heard tight, punchy pop-punk as the backdrop to an American whining about his love life with a uniquely tongue-in-cheek sensibility. The bright, infectious song structures hooked me immediately, and Josh Caterer’s defeatist lyrics made me feel sorry for him while at the same time admiring him for his vulnerability.

Caterer doesn’t have a swagger, and he’s less like Morrissey and more reminiscent of the crooner set – Frank Sinatra, to be specific. When I watched the Popes at The State Theatre, I half-expected him to swing his guitar to the back, grab the microphone, lean into the audience and make the girls swoon. He delivers his vocals with a deftness that obscures the band’s punk beginnings (read: verse-chorus-verse /three-chord-riff-with-an-eight-measure-guitar-solo song structure).

As I was in the early stages of my never-ending search for great music around the time I first heard them, I can credit this band for helping me move past my K Records jangle-pop obsession. Though I can still appreciate the sweetness of bands like Tiger Trap, SP put some bitter with that sweet and pushed me forward in discovering what I loved about music with some of the best breakup/broken heart songs ever, like “Pretty Pathetic,” “No More Smiles” and “Let’s Hear It For Love,” all from 1997's Destination Failure.

Smoking Popes was formed in 1991 by the Caterer and his two brothers, Matt and Eli, and was originally called Speedstick. After a name change and a line-up shift, they released a couple of EPs and an album. In 1994 they signed to Capitol Records, releasing two albums, Born To Quit and Destination Failure, for the label and touring with the likes of Morrissey, Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World. By 1998, however, things had started to change. Josh converted to Christianity and his new lifestyle wasn’t a fit with the band anymore; he quit in early 1999.

These days, the band is back together, releasing a new album and touring this summer. I had the opportunity to speak briefly to bassist Matt Caterer about the reunion.

REAX: What prompted the band to reunite and record a new album?
Matt Caterer: In November of 2005 I was hanging out with Josh, and he mentioned he was thinking about getting the Popes back together. At the time I never thought it would happen – reunions are never the same as the first time around. I thought about the Pixies and how the reunion just wasn’t as good as I thought it would be. Around this time we were asked to play a benefit. We had a couple of months to prepare, and 5 or 6 rehearsals. The tickets sold out in 36 minutes. There was such an amazing response and we had so much fun that night.

REAX: I remember reading that when Josh became a Christian, he had objections to singing some Smoking Popes songs due to their subject matter. What changed his mind?
MC: We talked about it and Josh felt more comfortable playing Popes songs now, as opposed to a few years ago, because his faith has matured and gotten stronger.

REAX: What do you see in the future for the band?
MC: I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be permanent. There are bands from Chicago like Naked Raygun that have reunion shows all the time. Also, I’m looking into having Born to Quit re-issued.

REAX: How has Josh’s faith changed the dynamic of the band?
MC: It doesn’t seem to me that the subjects are too dramatically different now. The songs are still about chicks – they're just his wife and daughter now.

REAX: In what ways has the band grown since forming in 1991?
MC: Our sound has gotten, hopefully, a little more sophisticated and cohesive. There’s a real energy and charm to the first 7-inches. But now the sound is more muscular.

Smoking Popes’ first album in 11 years, Stay Down, will be out June 7 on Appeal Records.

myspace.com/smokingpopes