Exclusive Interview: SMIRK Becomes A Force To Be Reckoned With
Smirk is led by a man who has dedicated most of his days to bring various music to the masses. Coming from Portland to Los Angeles, this is just the beginning for Nick.
Photo by: Dan Stanton
Expect nothing short of greatness from someone who has been heavily involved in two authentic music scenes in the country. His latest project recently took the stage for the first time ever, performing in front of a live audience. Put together by the amazing Pretty But Wicked, a sold out show saw Smirk opening up at The Echo on Sunset Blvd. Although playing a first show can be somewhat nerve wrecking for people, Nick is not new to playing on stages. He, along with his band, mastered the stage with excellent cadence and charisma.
Smirk formed during the pandemic, something Nick didn’t think would ever turn into a band playing live shows. They just put out a wonderful 12-track LP on Feel It Records titled “LP”, naturally. The punk scene in Los Angeles never truly died, it just fizzled out a bit from what it was back in the day. It's surely an exciting time to be involved in the Southern California music scene at the moment, filled with eccentric characters and hard hitting sounds.
The band has some exciting things coming for us for the rest of 2021, including a new 12” EP coming out in two weeks on the label Total Punk. Tonight they'll be opening up for Oh Sees at Non Plus Ultra for $10, which is sure to be an iconic show. You don’t want to miss that. Pick up the LP vinyl on Smirk’s bandcamp, along with a few cassette’s.
I sat with Nick on July 16th at the aforementioned Echo show where they opened up for Downside, Niis and Dumb Fucks, respectfully.
Photo by: Paula Jean
Here's what he had to say:
Q: As I look around I notice a packed house. What does it mean to you playing at this venue, with the other bands on the bill, for your first show?
A: I'm just super honored to be able to open up for these bands, and to have a first show at a venue such as The Echo is pretty rad. Such a great opportunity, we definitely had fun up there and it sounded great.
Q: Other than performing tonight, you guys did a live stream recently, how was that experience?
A: We recorded it up at Prairie Sun Studios in Cotati, California. North-Bay area. Pretty legendary studio and we had a hookup so we decided to do it there. It premiered on Harakiri Diat's YouTube channel. We got some pretty decent views.
Q: Before you formed Smirk, what other projects were you involved with?
A: I guess I started playing in bands for real when I was 12. I played in a band called The Discords in Portland, Oregon where I grew up. It was like late 70's punk style. Then I played in a bunch of hardcore bands before joining a band called Autistic Youth, another Portland band. We toured extensively and then I formed Public Eye. Also part of the amazing scene out in Portland.
Q: When did you start making music as Smirk?