Episode 202: Smile Machine

Look At My Records!

Episode 202 of Look At My Records! features an interview with Brooklyn songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jordyn Blakely. Known across the city for her drumming prowess and her contributions to a number of great bands like Maneka, Sharkmuffin, and Jackal Onasis, Blakely stepped out from behind the kit this past year and went solo with the release of her debut EP as Smile Machine. The five-song collection, which is titled Bye For Now, showcases her intriguing first foray into songwriting, incorporating a decent amount of fuzz and a whole lot of feeling. Tune in to the interview to hear all about the EP, including insights from Blakely on some of its stand-out tracks. Plus, she dished on some of her recent experiences touring in Bartees Strange, the importance of Shea Stadium in fostering community in North Brooklyn, how she learned more about herself after writing her first batch of songs, and of course, what inspired her to begin writing her own songs after solely playing drums for so long. Blakely also picked some great records from my collection, including choice cuts from Cat Power, Elliot Smith, and Sonic Youth. You can follow along with her picks via the official playlist for Episode 202!

You can purchase Bye For Now on limited edition cassette via Exploding In Sound. The album is also available on Bandcamp and Spotify. Keep up with Smile Machine by following them on Instagram.