Bad Copy

Oakland, CA-based rock ‘n’ roll quartet Smokers has released their debut full-length release. The fifteen song album, The Rat That Gnawed the Rope, was formally released on June 14th worldwide on digital and vinyl formats via Oakland-based Mouth Magazine Records.

The band includes the collective talents of Andy Asp (Nuisance, The Pattern), Cyrus Comiskey (Black Fork, Drunk Horse), Jim Nastic (Talk is Poison, Year Future), and Omen Starr (St. James Infirmary). After several years of relentless travel up and down the West Coast circuit, the band met up with lead engineer Phil Becker (Pins of Light, Big Business) at San Francisco’s historic El Studio. The studio, though located in a rather dubious neighborhood, turned out to be a perfect fit for their creative needs.

Vocalist and guitarist Andy Asp shared the following:

“It’s in a pretty dodgy neighborhood in San Francisco. I was stoked to see a deli right across the way, but it turned out to be a custom dog food butcher, so no sandwiches. We found a BevMo a couple blocks away, so that worked out pretty well.” 

Once the basic tracks and lead vocals were laid down at El Studio, Smokers retreated to their hometown Oakland studio, Tuff Bunker, to complete the remaining overdubs. The tapes then returned to Becker for mixing and finally to Skot Brown (Phantom Limbs) for mastering.

Stream the new album in full below and grab your copy HERE today!