Rustbelt Rock Review

By: Z.M. Delgado

Rustbeltrockreview.com

Volume #212: Artist Showcase, An Interview with The Strains

October 25th 2025

Good day to you my fellow Rock N’ Roll Aficionado. I hope you are well. I return in this installment, not with a tale to tell, but rather a new band to introduce you to. However due to unfortunate life restraints I wasn’t physically able to sit down with them in person. With respect to our digital god, I was able to get a few questions answered via the power of the internet. So kick back and put feet up as I introduce you to The Strains.

1) Where are you from?

Detroit, MI

Dayton, OH

Charlavoix MI

Amsterdam

Germany and wherever else we may lay our hat

2)Who are the band members? Names and Instruments.

Paul Grace Smith - Lead Vocals and Guitar

Gretta Smak - Vocals and Guitar

Kellen Mutter - Vocals and Bass

Jamy Holliday - Vocals and Guitar

Al King - Drums

Eric Stevenson: The Official Tattoo Artist of the Rustbelt Rock Review

3)What is your Band History? Give me a brief rundown of when and how your band was formed and how your story has evolved leading up to the present.

Formed in 2016 or 18 not quite sure, it was “I’m retired from music” Paul and he joined Andy and John who were decades long Chrysler workers. There were a few bumps along the way, John didn’t last long, Greasy Carlisi and Pete Bankert were in for a good few years, made a record, played a ton in Detroit, did a tour in the Midwest and a grueling tour in Europe in the dead of winter. We really started moving in 2022 on the heels of our debut LP, then the current lineup kind of morphed naturally coalescing into what it is now in 2024.

4) What style of music do you play? Please, describe your sound.

We are like a cross between Motörhead and the Village People if they spent too much time together doing acid with Charles Manson. Rough, tough, raw, and melodic. Surprisingly danceable.

5) Who are your major influences?

The Stooges, The Damned, The Beatles and ABBA

6) Songwriting: Describe your writing process. Who writes the music? Who writes the lyrics?

Paul is the primary song writer. He writes and makes us learn them! But we just do whatever we want on top of it or with it because he doesn’t care that much.

7) What are your major lyrical themes?

Love, heartbreak, loneliness, desperation, causing damage and doing damage control. Climbing out of various dark places. Redemption.

8) From where do you draw inspiration? (art, movies, books, current events, personal experiences, etc.) List some main inspiration sources.

Pretty much personal experiences. Paul just does Free form poetry on top of the stuff when it’s being written. The sounds become words and the words take meaning. He doesn’t write anything down. It’s bizarre really. Inspiration taken from nothingness

9) Recording history. What music have you released over your time together?

Full length record in 2022 - (this was the old lineup).

Current lineup just released a 7” on I-94 records March 2025

Full length record “Queen Death” this winter on Dead Beat Records.

Keep your ears open and your eyes peeled for The Strains next album!!!

10) Touring history. Where have you been and where are you going? Whats the furthest you’ve ever been from home? What’s the largest crowd you’ve ever played for? Any amusing or memorable road stories you’d like to share?

Two European tours, three US tours.

The furthest? Jail maybe? Dark places? Meaningless existences? Home is always far when life has no meaning. The music equates meaning. Now we are never far from home.

The biggest? In this band, hard to say. A festival vs a club gig vs a bar gig. Played as an opener for tons of people that didn’t care, vs a bar gig where a fraction of the people were in the audience going nuts? 20 people was the biggest crowd , but the largest? 1000? A billion? I lose count after 20.

Road stories….

Our nudist Dutch drummer once almost went into a speedway in Ohio in his tighty whities. We weren’t phased . Or 100 miles of a one lane nightmare in the middle of the night. A poignant moment was when the band had to share a cheese sandwich on a Half of a paper towel

11)If you could jump on tour opening for any band, who would it be?

The Damned—maybe they will see this??

So there you have it. A quick glimpse into the world of The Strains. Follow the links below for more info and if you want to check out The Strains live they will be performing at Metal Mondays at Smedley’s (17004 Lorain Ave. Cleveland) on November 3rd with Frank Meyer and The Robert Conn Band. That’s all I have for you this week. Bang your heads, Hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs.

Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,

-Z.M. Delgado

Rustbelt Rock Review

Rustbeltrockreview.com

10/25/25

Links:

https://thestrainsdetroit.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thestrainsdetroit/

https://thestrains.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thestrainsdetroit/?hl=en

Vol #212: Artist Showcase, An Interview with The Strains

Vol #197: Artist Showcase, An Interview with Atomic Witch