Below is the transcription of the above interview, which originally aired over the KALX airwaves on September 20, 2024.
Poindexter: [00:00:00] And I have here in the studio with me, Linda Smith. Hi, Linda.
Linda Smith: Hi.
Poindexter: Thank you so much for joining us today.
Linda Smith: Thank you for having me here.
Poindexter: Oh, all the way from, from Baltimore. Linda is a, a trailblazer in the bedroom pop, uh, a pioneer of home recording, uh, a, uh, a founding mother. [Laughter] I dunno. Yeah. Um. Yeah. Anyway, but yes. And, and we’re so happy that you’re here. This is, is this the first time that you’ve played in California? Did I hear that correctly?
Linda Smith: Yes. Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: This is great. So Linda will be playing tonight at the Four Star Theater, uh, along with the Linda Smith Band, who is, uh, Britta and Paul in this, in this incarnation. Um, and then tomorrow in Oakland, uh, at a house show.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, so let’s just right off the bat. Bedroom pop. Do you record in your bedroom?
Linda Smith: Yes.
Poindexter: It actually isn’t. It’s not the living room or the No?
Linda Smith: No, no. That’s the only place I can, um, [00:01:00] really have my, uh, equipment and my guitars and all that and, and I just keep it there and not have to take it down and, and that’s what I’ve always done.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: Had had that there. When I. Wherever I’ve lived. It was in the, it was in the bedroom.
Poindexter: [Laughter] Um, I wanted to ask, do you, did you play music when you were a kid? Were you a musical child?
Linda Smith: No. Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: No.
Linda Smith: I just listened.
Poindexter: Did you have a music, did you come from a musical family? Did you have any?
Linda Smith: No, no. No musical people?
Poindexter: No. So what in, what inspired you to start?
Linda Smith: Well, I’ll say it again. Uh, the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964, and then later on seeing Patti Smith on Saturday Night Live in, I think it was 1975.
Poindexter: And then, so, you know, you’ve recorded, you’ve, uh, self recorded most of your music.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Your solo music. Um, how did you, how did you learn how to do that? Did you, were you self-taught?
Linda Smith: Basically. Um, what happened was, uh, uh, when I was living in New York and [00:02:00] playing in a band, um, the, their, these four track cassette re recorders came out and for, used by anybody and, um, the, the electronic stores up there had them. And, um, I was kind of curious about doing recording and making little demos for the band and things like that. And um, and it was so simple that I didn’t, I don’t even think I spent that much time with the manual that came with it. And it was exactly what I was looking for to do cause I didn’t really like to, to record in studios. We had done some of that and I always felt a little like, you know, people are listening, I’m gonna mess up. I’m gonna have to do it again. We’re spending money and, um, so this was what I could, I could do whatever I wanted in the timeframe I wanted to do it.
Poindexter: That’s, yeah, that’s perfect. You have total control.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, let’s see. So, [00:03:00] uh, did you, did you play your solo work live very much back in the, the early days?
Linda Smith: No, uh, once in a while, and usually if somebody asked me, I didn’t, I didn’t really go seeking out, uh, shows or anything. And, um, uh, there was a, a, when I moved back to Baltimore, there was a place called the 14 Carat Cabaret. And sometimes I would perform there and a friend ran that and, um, she often had bands and local people play, and then people, some people from outta town would come and play there.
And, uh, so I might put together a band or even just play with one other friend and, and do some songs. But, and as far as playing in clubs in Baltimore, I never, there were one or two that I played, uh, but it, it wasn’t a regular thing. It was very one time here, one time another year.
Poindexter: Do you, do you prefer, uh, recording at home, over uh, to playing live?
Linda Smith: Oh, yes. [00:04:00]
Poindexter: The right. Going back to the people are listening, uh, and [Laughter].
Linda Smith: Right. There’s a, there’s, you know, you people are watching and they’re listening.
Poindexter: Yeah. Not only listening, they’re watching too. Oh, even worse. [Laughter]
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm. And I never really felt comfortable with it. I’ve gotten more comfortable with it recently, but at the time I just thought, oh, what a chore. Why did I say I would do this? And, um.
Poindexter: You’re like, I could have been at home. What was I thinking? [Laughter]
Linda Smith: Yes, I could have been home.
Poindexter: Um, did, um, yeah, you mentioned that you didn’t really seek out live shows, but, um, as far as your releases go, you, you self-released a lot of your music, correct?
Linda Smith: Right. Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, did you, did you work to promote it or did you let it just kind of spread organically?
Linda Smith: Well, the, the original cassettes that I put out, those, uh, I sent to, to, uh, sort of alternative music magazines because they had cassette, um, reviews. Anybody could send a cassette in and have it reviewed by someone. And the, um, [00:05:00] the review might only be a paragraph, but you could get a sense that either somebody likes something or what they thought about it.
And a lot of people who were doing this, um, home recording, um, sent their cassettes in and some people would, would write people who read the magazine like Option or Op, it was called originally or Sound, I think it was called Sound Choice. Um, they did these kinds of things and, uh, so that anybody could get, get a review.
You didn’t have to be known or, and, um, so I start to, to, um, communicate with some of the other people who wanted to exchange cassettes or people who would write and send me a few dollars, and I would send them the cassette directly to their house.
Poindexter: Oh man. What a, what a time.
Linda Smith: Very different than now.
Poindexter: Yeah. Well, although now it’s in some ways, you know, it’s so easy. You can upload it online and anyone can just grab it.
Linda Smith: Yeah. [00:06:00] And there’s, you can put it on Bandcamp and not even have a, um, an actual record or anything to sell. Just put it up there and people can listen and they can buy the digital.
Poindexter: Yeah, has, has that. Um, I noticed you, you have put a, you know, a lot of your music up on Bandcamp. Um, did that inspire you to, now that you don’t have to like, actually make physical tapes or make, you know, did that inspire you to start creating again?
Linda Smith: Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. I’ve been working on a few things at home and, um, and, uh, released an album with a friend in 2023 where we traded tracks back and forth, and then that was released on vinyl, um, version by, uh, Grapefruit Records, uh, it was called A Passing Cloud, and the friend was Nancy Andrews. And we had walked, worked together way back in the eighties in a, in a band. Uh, and we played in the basement of the house we lived in. And so we kind of reconnected to [00:07:00] the, during the pandemic and she started sending me tracks and I added some parts to it, like a little bass part or a keyboard part.
And then we decided to start collaborating on songs. And she would send me, um. Uh, lyrics or words that she found, stray, words that she found in pulp fiction novels. And, uh, so I would construct something and she would do something similar. So it was, it was, it was very much like we, we weren’t in the same room, and I really liked that process.
So, you know, there was. Uh, there was something fun about that, and I’ve never really worked like that before, so…
Poindexter: Yeah. Ah, the, the ma the, you know, marvels of modern technology that we can do that now.
Linda Smith: Yeah. A lot of people are doing that now. They’re, they’re making, uh, songs and things that way.
Poindexter: I know you can, you can be in a band with people and not even live on the same continent.
Linda Smith: Right. And sometimes you may, may, these people may never have actually met in person.
Poindexter: Right. And you mentioned Nancy is the band that you were [00:08:00] in together, is that Pinky?
Linda Smith: That was Pinky.
Poindexter: Right. And then we have that seven inch, um, we will play something from it in a bit. Um, but we do have something queued up. You did. I had, I asked if you wanted to pick out a few, a few songs, uh, from our library and, uh, one of the songs that you chose, uh, was by the Shangri-Las.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, tell me about the significance of this.
Linda Smith: Well, that’s one of those, you know, that’s one of those, uh, songs that I remember hearing on a transistor radio when I was eight or nine, and it made this such an impression. The, the opening piano, um, introduction and then the, the whole production of it and, um. I just, that was something that, you know, it’s like one of those things where you remember where you were when you heard it and I was probably sitting on the sofa in the living room and I had my transistor radio and I was like, oh my God, what is this?
And just as a child that that was. So that’s one of [00:09:00] those songs that stayed with me. Um, as far as like, this is the kind of thing I, I’d like to do someday and make something as atmospheric as this.
Poindexter: Yes. Atmospheric is…
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Definitely the word for it. Um, well, let’s hear it. This is Remember Walking In the Sand by the Shangri-Las…
All right. That was something from Pinky, that’s Linda Smith and Nancy Andrews. Um, who, we just heard have been collaborating again recently. Um, and what, what year was this from about, would you say?
Linda Smith: Um, it was sometime in the early nineties. 93 something. What does it say?
Poindexter: I have the answer.
Linda Smith: Yeah.
Poindexter: It’s in 1992.
Linda Smith: 92, okay.
Poindexter: Yeah. Yeah.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um. Yeah. And I was so, uh, I didn’t, I wasn’t sure that I would find that one in our library, but, um.
Linda Smith: I’m shocked.
Poindexter: Yeah, no, I was very, I was…
Linda Smith: Surprised, there it is.
Poindexter: I mean, the, the KALX library is, is vast and it’s a vast and magical place.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: It’s like Narnia in there. [00:10:00] Um, so yeah, I wasn’t that surprised. Uh, but yeah, so that was, uh, the song Coconut Cream. From, uh, four song seven inch by Pinky. And then, uh, before that, we heard from the Shangri-las, Remember Walking in the Sand, we were talking a little bit about the, um, the sound effects in there, the, you know, the sounds of the, the waves and the seagulls. And, um, you mentioned that you kind of, you like to incorporate that kind of thing in.
Linda Smith: Yeah, I mean sometimes it, it might seem kind of obvious or, um… but the reason I do it is because that’s what I grew up hearing, that kind of thing. It’s like, oh, you’re doing a song about a beach. Let’s put some wave sounds in, some, um, seagulls or whatever. And, um, a couple of things. I’ve, I’ve done something like that with, and got something from a, um, uh, sound effects CD or a tape and threw it in there. And it may sound kind of, uh, expected, [00:11:00] but I mean, that’s what they did that a lot in the 60’s.
Poindexter: Yeah. You got to, you have to set the mood and…
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: You know? Um, did you ever go out and do field recordings for any of that?
Linda Smith: I never have. I’ve never done actual field recordings.
Poindexter: Keep it in the bedroom.
Linda Smith: Yes. Get it from somewhere else and throw it in there.
Poindexter: Yeah. Um. So, so yes, we were, this is from 1992, and then you did have some, you had some things in, uh, into the early 2000’s, even, uh, or late 90’s?
Linda Smith: 2001.
Poindexter: Yeah, 2001.
Linda Smith: That was the last CD I did.
Poindexter: Yeah.
Linda Smith: Put together and, um. Then I just kind of went off to something else and I, it wasn’t, uh, a deliberate decision. I just wanted to start painting and I went back to school and tried to finish a degree that I never finished in the 70’s, and then I went and did a graduate program and, um, I thought, I had, had no intention of ever doing this ever again.
Poindexter: Really?
Linda Smith: None whatsoever.
Poindexter: So you weren’t just playing for yourself during that time at all?
Linda Smith: No. [00:12:00] There was a, a band I was in, well, sort of a band, and we only played a couple times, but it was somebody else’s project and I really, and I played, um, guitar, just added some guitar ideas. I didn’t sing or write songs. It’s called the Window Shoppers. And we did, we did a self-produced CD and, but that’s the only thing that, where I, you know, just, I didn’t do any, any real, uh, songwriting.
Poindexter: Wow.
Linda Smith: During that time.
Poindexter: Yeah. I mean, sometimes you just have to, you know…
Linda Smith: Go away.
Poindexter: Yeah.
Linda Smith: Come back.
Poindexter: Exactly.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, so what, what did bring you back to it?
Linda Smith: Well, like I said, it was the, the, the, uh, I guess it was initially, uh, the time of the pandemic and I was starting to go through, um, I wasn’t working at the time, and, um. And I was going through some old cassettes in my, uh, in my drawer that I had all these old cassettes and of different projects and [00:13:00] things. And, um, there was a group that Nancy and I were in briefly called the Gertrudes. And, uh, we did some four track recordings. So I sent, I said, oh, she might like to hear this. And, um, it was kind of interesting. It was another friend. Um, and it kind of had this, uh, bizarre sound to it, and I, I had forgotten what it sounded like, and so I sent it to her and, and, um, and the other person who was in the band, and, uh, Nancy called me up and she says, “Where did you get that? What is that? You know, I, I heard there was something coming around.”
And, and I, you know, and, and so she started talking about doing recording again, and I had no knowledge of how to record digitally or anything. And I didn’t have any machine to use anymore, any tape machine and, or all the parts to use. And, um, so she kind of talked me into getting the, the, um, the [00:14:00] software to, to do this at home on a, on a, because she was using Pro Tools, but I didn’t really wanna get into anything very complicated. And, um, so I, I said, I think I can use Audacity. That’s, that’s easy enough for me. And, um, and it, and it worked for trading things back and forth digitally, you wouldn’t know one was from Pro Tools and the other one was from Audacity. So, but it, it, that was probably the project that really, um, got me back to sitting down and making music again.
Poindexter: Wow. Well, go Nancy. Thanks. [Laughter]
Linda Smith: I have, whoops. I have to give, I always have to give her credit for that because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have done it.
Poindexter: Yeah. Oh, well, we’re also glad you did. Um, so, so really the digital recording has just been in the last few years for you?
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm. Since . Uh, 2020.
Poindexter: Wow. Wow. How, how do you, um. How does it compare to the tape recording?
Linda Smith: [00:15:00] Uh, I like it better. There’s less wires and things and, and less plugging in and, um, unplugging and, um, I mean, there’s still some of that, but, but I, I find it much, um, it’s, it’s, it’s, it’s similar in that you can kind of be intuitive with it, like you could with a, a tape machine, but you can go in and you can copy and paste. You can take stuff out and put another section in and which I, it was really hard to do with a tape machine.
Poindexter: Yeah. Yes. A little more involved.
Linda Smith: To change, to change, do things like that. I didn’t have the skill to, to cut tape and then put another piece of tape in. Like they used to do.
Poindexter: Yeah. Are, is there anything that you think, um. That you prefer about tape recording over digital?
Linda Smith: Well, I was thinking about it and, um, I can’t think of anything. I mean, really… [Laughter]
Poindexter: No. Good riddance.
Linda Smith: I mean, I, you know, I wasn’t, when I was using a four track, I wasn’t using it because I [00:16:00] liked the lo-fi sound. I used it because that’s what we had.
Poindexter: Right.
Linda Smith: That’s all. I, I wasn’t trying to be lo-fi. That’s, that’s what there was.
Poindexter: Yeah. It is funny now that we have all of this, you know, there’s people, I think there’s a lot of us that probably prefer that sound.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, but I think for folks who were, you know, there, there when it was the only thing, they’re like, why, why would you want that?
Linda Smith: Why do you wanna get and be lo-fi?
Poindexter: Do want take this? Yeah.
Linda Smith: Well, now you can, you can, you know, you can get plugins in these programs that, that’ll say lo-fi keyboard, lo-fi guitar [Laughter] and…
Poindexter: Adds in the tape hiss for you.
Linda Smith: Uhhuh, it has tape, [Laughter] hiss in it, everything. It’s very strange.
Poindexter: Yeah. Yeah. Um. So it, so yeah. Since you had this long break, um, had, did you find that your songwriting had evolved in, in certain ways since you have returned to it?
Linda Smith: Well, um, uh, I guess in a way it still, it was still pretty simple. I mean, I did an album [00:17:00] of, at around the same time of instrumental music and, um, because, and I wasn’t writing any lyrics, but I used some, some sound samples and some um, uh, prerecorded, uh, narrative and things like that were, but there was no, I didn’t do any real songwriting for it. It was, but it was, it was very similar to the way I used to work, where I put one track down, add another track, put another track, add another track, and build something up from a lot of little pieces.
Poindexter: That’s great. Just fell right back into it. That’s, that’s wonderful.
Linda Smith: Yeah, it was, it was, it was interesting to do that again.
Poindexter: Yeah. Okay. Well, I have, um, I have something queued up from, uh, the band you’re going, who’s playing with you tonight? I think this April Magazine is…
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: The show.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Is playing with you tonight. Um, so let’s hear something from them and then we’ll maybe hear another one of yours.
Linda Smith: Good.
Poindexter: All right. This is April Magazine, right here on KALX Berkeley. [00:18:00] I’m here with Linda Smith live in the studio.
[Music]
That’s something by Linda Smith, A Crumb of Your Affection. Uh, which, uh, is, is on the reissue.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Although we do not, we played it off of the original.
Linda Smith: Oh.
Poindexter: Um, yeah. Uh, ooh. Yeah, because there’s…
Linda Smith: That’s great.
Poindexter: Um, let’s see. And uh, April Magazine was ahead of that local music, the song Love, uh, who will be opening for Linda Smith tonight at the Four Star Theater. We should also mention there is, uh, a house show tomorrow. 2125 13th Avenue in Oakland. Um, and Linda will be playing with Sad Eyed Beatniks.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Yes. Wonderful. And, um, let’s talk about how these live shows came together ’cause we have, um, the, the Linda Smith band, uh, is, uh, Paul and Britta for [00:19:00] this, at least this leg.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Has, uh, have there been other people involved as well?
Linda Smith: In Baltimore, uh, recently I played with another member of Smashing Times, um, named Blake Douglas and he’ll play guitar and keyboards also. And, um, but originally when, when I played, um, a little tour in Baltimore, Britta and Paul played with me because they, they only, they were the, they wanted to take up the challenge. [Laughter]
Poindexter: Yeah. [Laughter] So how did, how did, how did you guys all meet? How did this come about?
Linda Smith: Well, you know, I had I to go back to like the spring of, of 2023. I was invited by, um, Kati Mashikian, I’m, I’m sure how you pronounce her last name, but she’s in April Magazine.
Poindexter: Oh, yes, yes.
Linda Smith: She came to Baltimore and was playing with the Red, Pinks and Purples, and she, um, texted me, I guess, uh, we [00:20:00] followed each other on Instagram and said, uh, do you want to, to, to come down and see us play? I’ll give you, you know, comp and at the Ottobar, which is not that far from where I lived. And I thought, I, you know, I never go to bars and listen to music anymore, but it’s free. Let’s go. And I, I was not familiar with that band. I think I’d heard of them, but I never really listened to them. I didn’t know anything about it and I didn’t. And then when I went down there, um. Uh, once they finished playing, she came over and she said, there’s this whole scene out in San Francisco area, um, that listens to your mus, music. So I was kind of like, oh, that’s interesting. Very interesting. And, um, why? She said, why don’t you come out and do a tour and we can get you some shows?
And, and then shortly after that, I guess it was, uh, af through the summer, um, somehow I got, I got, uh, a message from, I, I forget who asked [00:21:00] me, was it Jas in Smashing Times sent me a, I can’t remember. Anyway, I have to look through my, somebody Instagrams and asked me to play with Smashing Times at, uh, wine bar. Uh, in Baltimore, small place that does performances. And, um, so I asked my friend Paul Baroody, who I played with in the past, he plays keyboards and, uh, said, do you wanna do this? Let’s, you know, it might be fun, but I, I’d never met any of them. I might have heard some of the music before. I’m not, I can’t. It’s like, I can’t recall.
And so we went down there and did that. And um, and that was fun. It was fun meeting all of them. And, um. And then I guess some more time passed. Oh, I guess. And, and then in April, uh, um, Jas from Smashing Times said, do you wanna come and do a tour with us? A little East Coast tour? And I said, I don’t know. I don’t have anybody to [00:22:00] play with.
I can’t, you know, I can’t, Paul, Paul Baroody can’t come with me on these, to go to Philadelphia to go to New York. He’s, he works, he’s busy working and, um. So I thought, oh, maybe I could play by myself. Maybe I could get some, um, some backing tracks and just play to that. So it kind of evolved that, um, uh, Paul who plays drums for Smashing Times, was willing to learn some of the songs and play. And then, and then eventually Britta got involved and said, sure, I’ll play some, I’ll play bass guitar or keyboard, whatever. And we had never played together before, you know, I hardly knew them except where I had met them in, you know, in previous September.
And I thought, well, that’ll be good. That’ll be fun, you know, that will be interesting. And, um, and we hardly had any practice time before we did the first show at, at, um. That we played, uh, down in, in Washington, D.C. [00:23:00] place called Rhizome. Little, little space, and, um. And I was just like, well, we’re going with it.
We’re going to see what happens. And, and it was, it’s a very much something that just evolved out of, um, necessity and, um, them willing to, to, uh, be helpful and play with me.
Poindexter: Yeah.
Linda Smith: I, you know, it’s not something I expected.
Poindexter: Luring you out of, uh, out of the bedroom to… [Laughter]
Linda Smith: To play in these places.
Poindexter: And I mean, that’s, yeah. That’s wonderful. So before, before they all got in touch with you, were you keeping up with the local music scene in Baltimore? Were you following, um, new music very much?
Linda Smith: Not locally, no. Not much. I mean, I, there, there were, you know, there are old friends there who play music, who I was aware of what they were doing. But um, as far as younger bands, newer bands, um. I didn’t really know much. I didn’t go out and listen to live music, um, at all.
Poindexter: But, yeah, come to find out, there’s a whole, a whole [00:24:00] music scene who was very inspired by you. Was that surprising? Or were, or?
Linda Smith: Yes.
Poindexter: Yeah. [Laughter] Yeah. No, it’s, it’s wonderful. It’s like…
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, so it’s, so yeah, kind of around. Is, this is maybe a little, even a little bit earlier. Um, in 2021, Captured Tracks Records released a retrospective of your work, it’s called Till Another Time. Um, and now they’ve also reissued, uh, Nothing Else Matters and I So Liked Spring.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, how did, how did that come about? Were they longtime fans and did they contact you or did they come across your music? Um, sort of, uh.
Linda Smith: Well, that was another evolving situation where…
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: I had originally in 2011, I, you know, I was, again, going through my, my drawer of old tapes and I, and I hadn’t done music in a while and nobody, I didn’t know anybody even remembered it, and I thought, well, I’ll put this up on a free website. So I made [00:25:00] MP3s of most everything I had and I put it up on a free website where you could just come and listen to it and somehow people started to, to hear it, listen to that. And there was a guy named, uh, Matthew Gray. I think he lives out here, maybe Los Angeles. And, he wrote to me and he said, I’d love to do a, a cassette compilation of some of your music.
And that was in 2014, I think. And I said, sure. And I sent him the tracks and he, he did the, the, uh, the cover for the cassette and, um, put all the tracks together and distributed it from his small label. And from there he said, oh, you know, I’d really, I’d really like, I really think another label could really do a nice.
Poindexter: Get out a bigger reach, you know? Yeah.
Linda Smith: With, with vinyl perhaps. ’cause he wasn’t, he couldn’t, he didn’t do vinyl. And um, so he contacted all these [00:26:00] small labels that he knew, um, that I’d never heard of.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: And there were a couple that he said, well this one’s interested and this one’s interested, and then there’s this one. And so I looked at their website and, um, considered a couple of them and I thought Captured Tracks seemed to be the most together. And, um, they had an actual, and they have an actual staff and, and they do all different, have different departments. And, um, so he hooked me up with them and, um, it turns out that the guy who runs that label knew my music and he immediately said, oh yeah, we’ll do this.
Poindexter: Oh, wonderful.
Linda Smith: So it was, it was just one of those things that, because they do release new music by new bands, but they also do reissues and, uh, archival stuff, and…
Poindexter: Yeah. And I think sonic, I mean, it’s, it’s a good fit. I think that their, their sound and, and their kind, you know.
Linda Smith: It seemed to work out really well.
Poindexter: Yeah. Yeah. It works, it does work out well.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, well, I think, [00:27:00] uh, you know, I, we had, I think we had queued up a song, one song that you picked, but then we were talking about the Smashing Times so much, and I kind of forgot that I had, uh, we do have a, um, track from their upcoming album. Maybe we should play that instead.
Linda Smith: Oh, yes. Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Okay. And do a real quick, quick setup there. Um, yeah. So they have an album coming out, I think in November.
Linda Smith: Yes. It’s November, right.
Poindexter: Um, and…
Linda Smith: It’s on K Records.
[Music]
Poindexter: All right. That was Trees with The Garden of Jane Delawney, uh, a pick by Linda Smith, who’s here in the studio with me. This is KALX Berkeley, 90.7 fm by the way. Uh, and I do have Linda Smith, uh, live on the air with me. Uh, we heard from the Smashing Times before that Ben Jimeny, the Green Grocer. Um. Tell me a little bit about that Trees track. That was the only, you sent me a list of, um, of music [00:28:00] pics. That was the one I was not familiar with, and I heard it and I was like, oh my God, this is.
Linda Smith: It’s something, isn’t it?
Poindexter: It’s beautiful.
Linda Smith: Yeah. I’m surprised that the, the original song isn’t as well known. I heard it, or the song originally done by Françoise Hardy, um, the, the French singer and, um. And she recorded hers not too long after the original was recorded. And, um, hers is more, uh, produced, um, you know, uh, French pop sounding.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: And I loved the song as she did it. And, and then, uh, I read that it was a song by this group called Trees who I’d never heard of and looked that up online. It was on YouTube and, um. You can hear, you know, the same melody in words, but it’s a very different approach to it.
Poindexter: Yeah. Oh, now I, well, I’ll have to look up the Françoise Hardy version.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Because I love her too. Um, and then you mentioned you were, you’re putting together a cover of this as [00:29:00] well?
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Yeah.
Linda Smith: Yes. I was thinking, doesn’t make a great song to cover. And maybe those people that are in Smashing Times would like to participate. [Laughter]
Poindexter: I mean, yeah, it’s like a, a gentle English folk song. I think they might like that.
Linda Smith: Yeah. So they’re very, very…
Poindexter: It seems up their alley
Linda Smith: Into that sort of thing. So, and that’s, you know?
Poindexter: They are the English countryside personified.
Linda Smith: Yes. Uhhuh. [Laughter]
Poindexter: Yes. [Laughter]
Um, well, uh, let’s see. What, what else could we cover? Um, yeah. Oh, so, um. Uh, yeah, just thinking about the, um, the Captured Tracks reissue again.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, were you, so yeah. Were you very involved in picking out what songs were gonna go on there or did you just give them free reign?
Linda Smith: I let, I let, uh, the head of the label make the choices and, um.
It took a little while to get the, uh, the list [00:30:00] because I was gonna have to supply ’em with all the original, um, wave, wave tracks and, um. So I’d write every few months and I’d say, oh, have you made a decision about what you wanna put on this? And then the pandemic happened and I said, pandemics happen. I don’t have anything to do. I can get those tracks to you. And so finally I got a list of the, of the tracks he wanted, and um, I probably would’ve picked different ones. Um. And originally it was originally the idea was to have a two, two album, two record set, but they decided to do one and um, I guess leave things for later release. Uh uh, perhaps. And um, but I thought it was a, it was, it was a nice selection. People seemed to like that.
Poindexter: Yeah, I think so. And so since that has come out, do you, does it feel like that is, there’s been this resurgence in, you know, people reaching out to you or, or interest in [00:31:00] your work?
Linda Smith: It definitely had, um, an impact, uh, because that was, that was distributed in places that I could never, distribute my, my music and, and vinyl had become very popular again. So, um, people, people wanted things like that on vinyl. They wanted to have, uh, a lot of that stuff was never on vinyl, or, or it might have been on a, uh, a seven inch.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: Back in, in the day. But I’d never had a, a 12 inch vinyl.
Poindexter: Wow.
Linda Smith: Collection or album of any kind. And so that was part of my, my desire to, to be, to participate is I thought, oh, it’d be great to have this 12 inch vinyl and, ’cause I was a big vinyl collector back in, in the 80’s and, uh, in the 90’s and until CDs came in and you did it sort of dried up new releases on vinyl.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: But, um.
Poindexter: They’re back though.
Linda Smith: I know [Laughter]. [00:32:00] It’s all back again. And I never thought it was gonna happen, but, so there was, there was that, and there was this, um, I think it was people, people buying things because it was on vinyl.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: And they may not have heard known what they were gonna hear, but they said, oh, this looks interesting.
Poindexter: Well, that is the benefit of having yeah, a label that’s a curator. You know, people trust their, their taste and. Um, yeah, it’s, it’s great to have that.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um, so now, uh, yeah, what are your plans for future releases? You mentioned that cover, so does that mean that you’re, you’re recording with, um, your, your backing band now and?
Linda Smith: Well, for that cover, I don’t know, you know, what, what might occur in the future as far as recording with, with, uh, the backing band, um, because they’re very busy.
Poindexter: I know. Yeah. I mean, they’re each in like 10 bands, right?
Linda Smith: Yeah. A lot of them are in many bands. And, um, and so, you [00:33:00] know, it’s, it, it’s another, it’s another thing of, um, I can sit down and, and, and record at home too, and maybe put the basics down and maybe. One someone else could put a part on there at, you know, at their convenience. And, but I’ve started to record some, some stuff that’s song based and, um, using keyboard and electronic, um, ways of making chord progressions. And so, and not so much using the guitar as a songwriting tool and I find that kind of interesting ’cause I, it makes me think a little bit differently ’cause I can play chords on a different kinds of chords on a keyboard than I, than I can play on a guitar. I don’t really, can’t play a whole lot of, uh, uh, you know, um, interesting. It’s interesting or odd chords it.
Poindexter: Mm-hmm.
Linda Smith: And so that’s what I’m kind of trying to [00:34:00] follow that at this point and see where that, that takes me and writing some lyrics to go with it and, um, maybe put out a cassette of it.
Poindexter: All right. Wow.
Linda Smith: We’ll go back to cassettes.
Poindexter: Yeah. Do it. Those are also making a comeback.
Linda Smith: Yeah. They’re, there are, people are buying cassettes.
Poindexter: Yeah. Well, I’m, I’m so happy to hear that this resurgence has, you know, kept inspiring you and, uh, you know, that you’re still finding new ways and, uh, still finding inspiration and, you know, making new music is wonderful.
Linda Smith: I’m too. Yeah. That’s nice.
Poindexter: Well, thank you so much for, for coming and, uh, everyone. Linda Smith, uh, right here on KALX Berkeley, uh, will be playing at the Four Star Theater tonight in San Francisco. Such a beautiful space. Um, I’m very excited. I’ll be there. And then tomorrow in Oakland, uh, at a house show 25, uh, 2125 13th Avenue. All of this information is on the internet as [00:35:00] well.
Linda Smith: Mm-hmm.
Poindexter: Um. I am gonna, I’m, I’m gonna end us here with another one of your tracks. Uh, this one, it was like, this one was on the Slumberland, um, seven inch I think, was this the? Yes. Uh, local, local label. Um, so yeah, this is the song In This. Linda, thank you so much.
Linda Smith: Thank you, uh huh.
Poindexter: For coming.
Linda Smith: Thank you.
Poindexter: Um, and this is KALX Berkeley, Linda Smith.
