Spellling
Smut
Smut is the project of lyricist Tay Roebuck, guitarists Andie Min and Sam Ruschman, drummer Aidan O’Connor, and bassist John Steiner. Roebuck, Ruschman and Min started the band a decade ago in Cincinnati, Ohio. After years in the DIY scene, they made their Bayonet Records full-length debut, How the Light Felt. The record was a revelation. Pitchfork called it “a rigorous, decade-spanning study,” and a “well-oiled spin on late-’80s guitar pop.” Under the Radar called it “pop perfection,” that “blends subtle hooks with wistful lyrics.” It was a record that explored grief through the lens of melancholic dream pop, using drum machines and layered, intricate melodies. How the Light Felt brought the band to Chicago, a city with more room for their growing sound. They still faced the modern struggles of the working musician, though: instability, objectification, financial precarity. The band channeled this period of touring, personnel changes, and personal upheavals into their newest musical endeavors.
