April Smith and the Great Picture Show Interview: SXSW 2010

Growing up in Toms River, New Jersey, April Smith longed for the limelight. Inspired first by Queen and Led Zeppelin, then Tom Waits and vintage jazz and big-band music, Smith spent her youth singing and dancing, challenging her two older sibling for household creative supremacy. On her recently released debut, 'Songs for a Sinking Ship,' Smith swings like a prohibition-era Gwen Stefani, or maybe a sunnier Neko Case. Spinner caught up with the singer midway through a tour that includes a SXSW showcase.

Describe your sound in your own words.

It's definitely a retro-pop sound. It's kind of got a swing to it. We've actually found we have a lot of swing dancers following us, which is pretty cool.

How did your backing band, the Great Picture Show, form?

They all came along at different times. My bassist, I've been playing with for a few years now, and we're really good friends. We met in Jersey, and then we both moved to Brooklyn. And [guitarist] Marty [O'Kane], I knew him from another band called Spiraling. He's a really well known and respected musician in New Jersey. And then Nick [D'Agostino], our drummer, we were lucky enough to meet last year. He's one of the two new members. Our keyboard player, he's a friend of Marty. It all kind of came together.

What are your musical influences?

I really love big band, swing, turn-of-the-century pop music -- Fats Waller and Artie Shaw, stuff like that. I love Tom Waits. I love lyrics. I love those old melodies. I'm mostly influenced by those kinds of things.

How did you come up with your band's name?

Well, the music and the live show are kind of theatrical and dramatic, and it just sort of fit. It has that Old Hollywood vibe a little bit. It goes with the whole feeling. It's almost a little bit of foreshadowing of what you're going to hear.

What's your biggest vice?

I love anything with caffeine. This is a good question for me, because I was drinking a lot of soda. I love Coca-Cola. That's my dark mistress. I stopped drinking Coca-Cola. I took a break, because I could never stop for good. But I cut down, because it's really bad. Anything with caffeine is bad for singers.

What's in your festival survival kit?

You've got to have an umbrella, because you never know what the weather is going to be like. Good comfy shoes -- they've got to look cute but also be comfortable. And sunscreen, for sure. Whether it's cool or really hot, you're always outside, and I'm, like, super fair. That's the Irish in me. And you've got to have good food. I'm a huge foodie, so at Lollapalooza, I did this tour of the festival and one of the first place I went to was the food stand and tried a couple of things. Another great thing to have is a hand fan.

Who was your first celebrity crush?

I really happened to like Robert Downey Jr. I wouldn't say he's a crush. I really think I admire his acting, and I like that he's funny, and he always picks his roles very well. I always like him, whatever he does. And he's not too bad on the eyes, either.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

So, I drive the bus, too, because we tour in a 32-foot RV/tour bus, and we take turns driving. And when you're tired, you need really good music to wake you up and get you ready for the trip. And the other night, I put on Wham, and I just sang it at the top of my lungs. And Lionel Richie was just calling my name, and I answered that call. And I'm glad I did, because that got me all the way to Knoxville, Tenn.

Beatles or Stones?

The Beatles. I'm just a Beatles girl. I love them.

What's the craziest thing you've experienced while on tour?

I don't know if this is crazy, but it's the best. This woman comes up to me in Florida. I was on a solo acoustic tour. I was opening for another artist, and this woman comes up to me and she goes, "Girl, you a bad bitch." I was like, "Oh, thank you very much." She made me write it on her CD. Her name is Berdier. We're Facebook friends, and one day, if I get the chance, I'm going to hire her to be my hype person. She made me write, "You're a bad bitch" on her CD. And she had me write, "We're both bad bitches" on the other side.