"Smoker's Coat" is another one of those songs where I came up with the title before anything else. I knew I wanted a song called "Smoker's Coat" on my next album when I was writing the first batch of songs for Independency in 2016. The music for "Smoker's Coat" was written on May 7, 2016. I originally had a very different rhythm on the guitar during the verses of the song. It was initially inspired by the tune "Morning Riders" by UK band the Temperance Movement. They were one of the several modern bands that influenced me during the writing process for the Independency album. The main rhythm I came up with in "Smoker's Coat" was too similar to the Temperance Movement song, so I simplified it.
I wrote the lyrics for "Smoker's Coat" on May 29, 2016. I smoked cigarettes for a decade from 2004 to 2014, and then I switched to vaping. But I remembered my coat would always smell funky after smoking a dart in the lower temperature seasons. I noticed it more with other people after I quit smoking. And sometimes people get judged just from the way they smell. How their stench can seemingly exemplify who they are as a person and what they are to society. If there was a term for it, it would be called something like "odour bias". So I wanted to write a song that was precisely about that kind of discrimination. While "Smoker's Coat" is mostly about smoking and it's consequences, there are a few non-related references in the lyrics of the choruses. "Ok, they may say it's elementary" was a reference to some lyrics in the song "Love & Marriage" by Frank Sinatra. "Ok, Gordie, ahead by a century" was an homage to Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, who had just been diagnosed with brain cancer the week I wrote the lyrics. He ended up passing away on October 17, 2017. "Ok, Jose, jealous ones still envy" was a reference to the Fat Joe album of the same name.
I started recording "Smoker's Coat" on March 19, 2017. The bass guitar playing eighth notes halfway through the verses was influenced by the bass style of Cliff Williams from AC/DC. Filling gaps with simplicity. The drum beat on the choruses of "Smoker's Coat" was influenced by the main beat of "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction. By the first chorus of "Smoker's Coat", there is a full cathedral organ added which continues for the rest of the song. This organ brings out the full chords associated with the melodies to make the song more dynamically harmonic.
The instrumental section between the 2nd chorus and the guitar solo is a dramatic riff that screams blues. An extra guitar an octave above is added halfway through the riff. The guitar solo is played over the verse progression. It's a cool guitar solo that uses pinched harmonics and trills. Which were tricks I hadn't used a lot of on the first 3 Plaid On Flannel albums. But I used it on songs like this one and "The Inside Guide" for the Independency album. The slick guitar solo leads into a final chorus. "Smoker's Coat" is an example of how I used a lot of gaps and spaces throughout Independency. I finished recording the song on April 16, 2017, and have never played it with a band.
lyrics
Words and music by Nolan Randall
It's a weird aroma on your winter coat
All the people want to manifest an anecdote
Get a pack of Belmonts, it's an addiction
There are some that want to
Give you their own depiction
You've got a way of dealing
With the trouble in your life
Caffeine and nicotine may help you on your ride
They smell a scent and feel that
You are among the lower class
The way of disarray may fall into the past
Alright, you light right outside the entry
Ok, they may say it's elementary
Take care, beware, what you have become
You know, although you're not the only one
Take a look ahead now for what you'll endure
Gotta find a reason to be mindful of a cure
You admit an odour on your jacket stench
What you have to do is
Look for something that will quench
All these years you have found out
The person you're meant to be
The roads and all the loads you carry to be free
It's not a reflection of the habit you have to form
Truth told you're not so bold
It's only clothes you've worn
Alright, you light right outside the entry
Ok, Gordie, ahead by a century
They say you'll pay all in the long run
You know, although you're not the only one
Alright, you light right outside the entry
Ok, Jose, jealous ones still envy
They say you'll pay, damage that you've done
You know, although you're not the only one
You know, although you're not the only one
Plaid On Flannel is an alternative indie blues rock act from Toronto, Canada. With 80+ original songs recorded since 2011,
singer-songwriter Nolan Randall has remained the sole constant member of the band. POF's music is known for guitar riffs/solos, memorable hooks, catchy melodies/harmonies, evocative lyrics, & superb musicianship. While keeping a focus on originality and songwriting quality....more
Combining crooned murder ballads with raw, angsty hard rock hooks, Melbourne's The Ugly Kings are a wrecking crew well worth watching. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 15, 2021
Brighton, UK band leaven surging hard rock with spaced-out stoner-doom on their second LP, recorded in an old chapel on the English coast. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 9, 2022
The surprisingly comical new video from roaring metal group Red Fang is a tip of the hat to the original “Predator.” Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 12, 2016
