Unsigned Spotlight: Big Smile
Watered down so-called rock music from Southwest Ohio.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Scooter Smith-Vocals
John Morris-Bass & Vocals
Ethan Saling-Guitar & Vocals
Noah Jatczak-Guitar
Cameron Hayes-Drums
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Big Smile? How long has the band been around?
Scooter and Noah used to be in a band called All the Above together. Scooter and Cameron also used to be in a band called The Sweet Addiction years ago. I used to play in a gospel band called Delivered. We got together and started Big Smile back in summer 2017.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
When Scooter and Ethan started writing songs together they went by the name Bay City Bombing. Scooter's girlfriend brought the name Big Smile up as an idea and we liked it. It's kind of ironic because it's a happy name and the things Scooter writes about aren't exactly happy-go-lucky subjects.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Scooter writes all of our lyrics. He pretty much writes about his own life, whether it be certain experiences he's been through or thoughts on different societal topics.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Our most recent music has taken inspiration from bands like The Story So Far and Knuckle Puck, mostly modern pop punk bands.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
For me personally I picked up guitar because of Green Day's American Idiot, but All Time Low's Straight To DVD is what made me want to be in a band and play live music. I saw how much fun they were having on stage and the connection they had with their fans and aspired to do that as well.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
I do a lot of warmups both vocally and on the bass, doing scales and stuff like that. I have a ritual of drinking a shot of honey before we go on stage. It helped me a lot in the studio when we recorded vocals for our last EP and I've kinda stuck with it for live shows.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Definitely our show with State Champs. We opened for them in Louisville last year along with Grayscale and The Dangerous Summer and played to our biggest audience yet and met a ton of new people we've built friendships with that have lasted to this day. A more recent highlight would be signing with Anchor Eighty Four Records. We're really excited to partner with them and see what we can do with our upcoming releases.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
My dream tour would be 5 bands: Green Day, All Time Low, Motion City Soundtrack, Knuckle Puck and ourselves. They're all in my top favorite bands of all time.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Our new song, "Killdozer," comes out August 21st on all streaming platforms. Hoping everyone who reads this checks it out and enjoys it!