The SmashUp 'Being And Becoming' album

The most rewarding way to do something is to do it yourself, to earn your battle scars and get your hands dirty in the process. The SmashUp knows this better than anybody.

Since forming in New York City in 2001, The SmashUp has been doing it the only way they knew how: by themselves and for themselves. Vocalist Watt White explains, "The minute you start doing things you think people will like, you fail. Do it for yourself. The world will come." Guitarist Vin Alfieri adds, “Everything is so DIY driven. Anybody with the drive to do this can make something…You’ve just gotta enjoy the ride.”

The SmashUp is a band that allows fans to feel a common bond and a sense of understanding. “We consider ourselves storytellers. Everyone can relate to our experiences, but we don’t write songs about breaking up with girlfriends,” says Alfieri. The songs on Being And Becoming touch on a variety of subjects. The song Murder To The Mattress is about abortion and unwanted pregnancy, while Rachel’s Day is about a friend of the band who lost her battle with drug addiction. “Never Gonna Kill Us is our anthem. Being in a band puts you against the odds, but once you’ve started, there is no choice. Quitting is never an option.”

The SmashUp has peddled its brand of musical intensity and passion to crowds of various sizes and musical tastes. “We’ve played everything from underground shows at VFW halls to clubs with national acts.” In fact, the band has shared the stage with bands as varied as Coheed and Cambria, Eighteen Visions and The Used. This suits The SmashUp just fine: “We have so many different elements… We have been influenced by Black Flag and Bad Brains, but we’re by no means a hardcore band and even though we have a punk rock work ethic, I don’t think we could be classified as a strictly punk rock band either.” To further elaborate the band’s influences would indicate just how varied their tastes are: from Rancid, NOFX and AFI, to The Police, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix to Metallica, Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold and Mastodon.

The members of The SmashUp are also multitalented. The band self-produced Being And Becoming because “We weren’t happy with working with past producers and I think we did a pretty good job of it ourselves.” Alfieri is well-experienced with a variety of musical ventures, having written original music in varying styles for multiple films and television programs including Daredevil, The Punisher, Fantastic Four, The OC, The Secret Window, Garfield, Fat Albert, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Johnson Family Vacation, Rebound and American Pie 2. Vocalist Watt White has appeared in commercials for AOL, Virgin Mobile, Subway and Heineken, often with a singing role. Alfieri explains “We need to have some way to support ourselves as a touring band.”

Signing with WARCON Enterprises has opened a new chapter in The SmashUp’s story. “Working with WARCON and (cofounders) Bob Chiappardi and Kevin Lyman brings the band to a new level. WARCON gets what we’re about. It gives us a chance to have a chance.”

Watt White: vocals

Vin Alfieri: guitar

Rich Liegey: bass

Ant C.: drums

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The SmashUp - Being And Becoming