Smith Grind is a new band comprised of current and former members of Reno, Nevada hardcore legends Fall Silent.
If you didn't already figure it out by their name, the group is skateboard-obsessed, paying tribute to the vert and street heroes of the '80s. So, if you know what I'm referring to when I mention Puszone, Skatemaster Tate, and Wheels of Fire, Smith Grind's newly released debut album, Curb Appeal, will be up your alley.
I had a quick conversation with vocalist Levi Watson to get the skinny on Smith Grind.
How did the idea of Smith Grind initially came together?
My brother Damon and I were trying to get Fall Silent back together in the summer of 2022 with Brian Wohlgemuth, who was the original bass player in Fall Silent. He played on No Strength to Suffer and the nineteenhundredninetyseven 7".
Brian had just moved back into town from Los Angeles and we were excited to get the original 4 back together. At that time, Danny Galecki, who is an original Fall Silent member, wasn't able, or didn't want to play music at that time.
We sort of gave up on Fall Silent, but still wanted to play and write music. So our long time friend, Ian Yount, agreed to play bass with us, and we started Smith Grind. Brian was on guitar, Damon on drums, and I did the vocals.
What are some of the key influences you all brought into the songwriting process?
Ian wrote 8 out of the 10 songs on the album. He has been in a lot of bands around Reno for the past few decades and is a really strong songwriter. His songs are not as metal sounding as FS songs, and are a bit more melodic and cohesive. To me, the songs have a more stripped-down, traditional hardcore sound.
I think it sounds like the first few Sick of It All albums, Killing Time, Sheer Terror, and 'One Voice'-era Agnostic Front. I think that the simplicity of the songs add to the power and energy. Of course, we cannot shake the Fall Silent influence since this is who we are and what we have done for the last 30 years, but it is definitely less death metal and more hardcore influenced Fall Silent.
What’s your personal history with skateboarding? What eras, skaters, and brands do you celebrate the deepest?
Skateboarding was all we thought about from about the 6th grade, through high school. Our walls were covered with Transworld and Thrasher pictures of Mark Gonzales, Jason Lee, Ray Barbee, Danny Way, Hosoi, etc. Marty "Jinx" Jimenez had a connection with someone in Reno by where we lived. This house had all of these halfpipes and Jinx would bring Mark Gonzales, and other Vision riders over there and we would watch them skate ramps and stuff. It was cool as hell.
The skateboarding scene in Reno in the late '80s and '90s was thriving. There were tons of kids hitting all of the spots around town and this led us to the hardcore scene. Skaters were hardcore/punk kids and vice versa. This led us to lifelong friendships with Dean and the Gehenna guys, Max and Spazz, and the Arizona scene with Butler and Unruh.
Fast forward to 2023, when we were trying to come up with band names for the new project we were working on. Every band name that we came up with was taken, or too cheesy, or lame. I think Ian came up with Smith Grind, which is one of the coolest looking grinds. So that became our band name.
We don't skate as much as we did in our teens and 20s, but it will always be a part of who we are. I was never good at skateboarding, but I loved doing it with my friends. I feel like skateboarding was more about camaraderie and adventure in the '90s than sport. We got away with a lot of crime back then that we could never get away with now. There are cameras everywhere now. Kids can't get away with anything any more.
What’s the plan for the band beyond this record?
I don't know. Ian quit the band right before we recorded the songs, so Brian played bass and guitar on Curb Appeal. Brian quit the band right after the recording. So we don't really have a band right now.
We would love to get a bass player and guitar player so that we could play the album live for people who are interested. If there is anyone reading this who wants to get the band going, get in contact with me.
These songs have never been played in a live setting. I don't think it will happen though. I am just glad that the songs were recorded and pressed. I really like what we made.
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Curb Appeal is available now digitally and on vinyl via 702 Records.
Smith Grind on social media: Instagram
Tagged: fall silent, smith grind
