Smoking Popes announce new LP, spring tour

Posted by Frank

Chicago rock vets Smoking Popes are set to drop their sixth studio album, This Is Only a Test, on March 15th. To coincide with the release they will embark on a spring tour that wraps up with a home city show at Double Door on Sunday, April 3 (tickets are currently on sale here). The band also have two other Chicago area shows lined up: February 19th at Montrose Room in Rosemont and February 25th at Mojoes in Joliet.

Recorded last year at the Windy City's own Atlas Studios, This Is Only a Test marks the quartet's first take at a concept album. According to a press announcement, it tells the story of a fictional high schooler and "explores themes of identity, musical aspirations, love and teen suicide."
Singer/Guitarist Songwriter Josh Caterer explains, “When I first got the idea to write from a teenage perspective, the individual songs came really quickly. I wrote a song a day for five days. That’s half the album in less than a week. I never write that fast! Each song stands alone as a snapshot from this kid's life. The story doesn't unfold like a narrative. It's more like a collage."

This Is Only a Test follows-up 2008 LP Stay Down as well as It's Been a Long Day, a 2010 collection of previous vinyl releases and compilation tracks.

Smoking Popes Spring 2011 tour dates:
Sat- Mar 19 The Sail Inn, Tempe, AZ
Sun- Mar 20 Casbah, San Diego, CA
Tue- Mar 22 Slidebar, Fullerton, CA
Wed- Mar 23 Key Club, West Hollywood, CA
Thu- Mar 24 Downtown Brew San Luis Obispo, CA
Fri- Mar 25 Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Sat- Mar 26 The Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA
Mon- Mar 28 Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland, OR
Tue- Mar 29 El Corazon, Seattle, WA
Thu- Mar 31 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Fri- Apr 1 Hi Dive, Denver, CO
Sat- Apr 2 The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
Sun- Apr 3 Double Door, Chicago, IL