Singled Out: Strange Plants' Horseshoe Smile

Strange Plants have previewed their forthcoming debut album with their new single "Horseshoe Smile", and to celebrate we asked Matt Brannon to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

Do you ever meet someone and think to yourself; is that real? Are they really like that? I think this is basically my default when browsing social media and I sometimes find myself slightly cynical about it all; maybe more than slightly.

One thing that kept capturing my attention was all the overlaughing; "influencers" throwing their heads back in uncontrollable revelry at the mere whiff of humor. The image burning into my brain; the top of their veneer-filled mouth exposing a horseshoe shaped beacon of treachery.

I was too baffled at this point to put any of this to music, but the rotten seeds had been planted.

In the coming weeks I had moved on to a new obsession. I developed a nihilistic intoxication with those videos where someone superimposes themselves over another video and they're nodding and pointing at it; being really emphatic when its a point they really agree with. You know the ones.

(Imagine a tiny head floating in front of that last paragraph and they point it as it mouthing "this" and smugly close their eyes as they nod up and down going "yup" over and over. And sometimes they shake their head side to side when they want to act like they can't believe how much this is spot on.)

I digress; my belief that reaction videos being the lowest form of content creation was shattered.

But then the fever broke. And we're getting to the song part now, just hang in a biscuit longer. A few weeks later I was on Facebook and a fellow I know has posted a picture; but immediately I noticed something wasn't right. This guy was happy, his world was suspiciously well lit, he was dressed in the choicest vintage finery and it was accompanied by some sort of piffle about everyone getting along.

LIES!

I knew this person, none of it added up.

Perhaps it was my own naivety but it all came crashing down in the realization that the social media landscape was really just an asylum for curated lives that don't actually exist. A vapid temple of self-deception masquerading as achievement and contentment.

It was at this moment the idea for Horseshoe Smile came into focus.

While quite satirical and biting in lyrical content, the music and melody is not. It bounces along with joyous indifference to the absurdity of these fictions.

I always wanted to write a tune with a Tears for Fearsesque shuffle and that underpins the tune. We kept the verse fairly simple in music and a more angar melody, to really create that contrasting "sun comes out" moment when the chorus hits. Here the melody takes on rounder shapes and changes gears in a very sing-a-long sort of way. Really emphasizing the contrast between the lyrics and the music.

The Beatles were another big influence on this tune and that really comes through in the bridge. Bryden Baird did a terrific horn arrangement and for a moment you're in the land of Sgt Pepper.

I want to acknowledge Rob Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deertick) who produced the record and played all over it. As well as Josh Van Tassel who mixed it; he absolutely nailed the sound we wanted. Adam Meisterhans did all the fantastic guitar work, dude dials in the best tones.

We hope you dig it and will check out the rest of the record when it drops June 6th.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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