SMILE confront the aftermath of escaping violence on Gotta Run, a driving blend of noisy post punk and slow-burning unease. Fast, tense drums and a restless groove create an immediate sense of claustrophobia, as though the track itself is searching urgently for a way out. The momentum eventually collapses into a slower passage with a distinct slowcore weight. Gotta Run captures survival as a condition shaped by what continues to follow.
The accompanying video introduces an unsettling alternative reality of handheld street footage, fishnets and animal heads, becoming a great match for the music's urgency.
Since releasing their debut album in 2023, the band have built a formidable live reputation, driven in large part by performance artist Rubee Fegan, whose intense physicality defines SMILE's imagery as much as their music.
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SMILE
Video directed and filmed by Rubee Fegan, Taylor Coppage & Olivia Martinez
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