SMUG LLC is the latest solo project from Drew Thomson, a Canadian musician
based in the Greater Toronto Area. Known for fronting acclaimed bands like
Single Mothers and The Drew Thomson Foundation, Thomson has earned
two prestigious Juno Award nominations and built a respected career as a
singer-songwriter. Over the years, he has toured extensively, sharing the stage
with notable acts such as Title Fight, Touche Amore, PUP, The Bronx,
Quicksand, Dave Hause, Off With Their Heads, and many others. Now,
Thomson introduces SMUG LLC with the release of his debut EP, New Exciting
Doom, out Friday, October 3 via Anxious and Angry.
With six full-length LPs released on Dine Alone Records and over 20 EPs—
either self-released or through labels like Secret Voice, No Sleep Records, and
Deathwish Inc.—Drew Thomson had always fronted full bands. But during the
pandemic, it felt like that chapter might have come to an end.
“The concept of a ‘laptop band’ was born during those months and years when
going out wasn’t really an option and collaboration felt impossible,” says
Thomson. With no other creative outlet, he downloaded a free version of Ableton
Live and began experimenting. That led to samplers, drum machines, and
synthesizers—and the realization that a full band and live experience could live
at his fingertips. “The laptop is the instrument. I write all my songs on it. They
live there,” he says.
He began writing loop-based, minimalistic songs, manipulating drum samples
through a Roland SP-404, layering in simple basslines, and writing lyrics over
them. Those early experiments became the foundation for SMUG LLC,
culminating in the debut EP, New Exciting Doom—a six-song romp through the
belly of where we were yesterday, where we are today, and where we just might
be heading next.
“It’s about internal and external struggles and how they intertwine,” Thomson
explains. “Lyrically the album is kind of like looking out a window into the litter
filled streets, seeing a reflection of yourself in the glass. Can things get worse?
Can they get better? Is it all perspective? Is this a new doom, or has it always
been here, lurking just around the corner, waiting to swallow us whole?”
Songs like “Shoulda Died” look back on partying and alcoholism through the
lens of long-term sobriety, while “Campaign Finance” reflects the frustration of
knowing only so much is within your control. “Little Gusts” is simple and fun—
and it reignited Drew’s passion for songwriting. “It was the first song that started
this new era for me and set the tone for what SMUG LLC would become,” he
says. Musically, the EP blends analog and digital drum loops, basslines,
synthesizers, and samples arranged together in a simple mosaic of chaos and
hooks.
Thomson began posting songs to Instagram, performing live vocals over
backing tracks he’d created. The posts caught the attention of close friend and
Off With Their Heads frontman, Ryan Young. “Ryan called me one day and
basically said, ‘These songs are cool, you should do something with this,’”
Thomson recalls. “I still had the idea of touring with my laptop in the back of my
mind.” That conversation quickly turned into a plan: “He said, ‘Get a record
together, I’ll put it out, and I’ll take you on tour.’” And just like that, Smug LLC
was thrusted out of Thomson’s bedroom and into reality.
