"I feel great," says Josh Caterer phoning from Seattle just a few hours before his pop band with a punked up attitude, the Smoking Popes, is going to take to the stage. What he is referring to is his chain smoking habit which he recently dropped after having trouble breathing and going through what Caterer calls "Pot paranoia." But he could be referring to any number of things. Caterer couldn’t be happier since he married his high school girlfriend a little over a year ago and the Popes’ new album, Destination Failure, is complete and waiting for release this February. Failure will be the Popes’ first new release since Born To Quit was put out by Chicago’s Johann’s Face in 1994. The band signed to Capitol Records shortly after the release of Born To Quit and then the major label re-released it in 1995.

Josh and brother’s Matt and Eli, along with neighbor Mike Felumlee, formed the Popes in the late ‘80’s in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Only once did the band face difficulties in the early going. Eli was forced to leave the band because his parents thought he was too young, but it wasn’t long before mom and pop Caterer gave in to their son’s musical persistence. The band started out playing shows in various basements in and around their home neighborhood. The Popes made flyers and were able to attract between 40 and 60 people a show. These shows brought in about $30 for the band. Back in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s, the Metro used to hold a local band night every Wednesday. These shows were arranged with the help of Marc Ruvolo (No Empathy) and any band could play. The shows would cost $5.00 and each band was given a number of tickets to distribute to friends. This is where the Smoking Popes lived and thrived in the beginning. The Popes only had to play three Wednesday night shows before Metro owner Joe Shannahan approached the band and told Caterer "If you ever need any help, let me know." Caterer did let him know and Shannahan became the band’s manager. In the coming years, the Smoking Popes would practically use the Metro as a second home.
However, Caterer sighted the band’s playing at McGregor’s, a Northwest Suburban rock club, just as important as their early Metro shows. "We just kept bugging the guy that ran the club and eventually got in," he says. Once the Popes played there, the band was repeatedly asked back. The Popes started to develop a large suburban following and shows started to line up for the band. Unfortunately, McGregor’s closed down a few yeas ago and there has yet to be a prominent suburban club to take its place.
Before releasing Get Fired, the Popes released three 7"s with their own money. These were sold at shows, blacklists, and the band put them on consignment at any record store that would accept them. The band plans on re-releasing all their early singles after touring for the new album. But don’t expect them to be released any time soon because as Caterer puts it, "We’re not in any rush to do it."

"Capitol seemed like the kind of major that stood by the bands were signed. We thought if we were on a bigger label we would just get lost in the shuffle," says Caterer. After the release of Born To Quit, it was only a matter of time before the band signed to Capitol. The recent attention that was focused on the Chicago scene helped the band and the popularity of pop-punk bands like Green Day certainly didn’t hurt. Caterer has no complaints with the label. "Our record didn’t sell a million albums and all that, but the label has not lost interest in us."
The process of signing to a major happened practically overnight for the band. "We just kind of started getting phone calls and we’re taken out to dinner," he says. Capitol showed the most interest and landed the band because of it.
Since signing to Capitol, Caterer has noticed the band is starting to appeal to an older crowd. The band is also playing more 21 and over shows. "It’s a totally different vibe. It’s not as energetic as an all ages show, but it’s very satisfying to appeal to older people." But what about all those punks that were the band’s initial following? "We’ve always been getting that ‘you’re not punk shit.’ We’re too sensitive to appeal to hard core punks anyway. Everybody thinks we’re too wimpy because of the way I sing," says Caterer.
Capitol records wouldn’t sign the Popes unless the band agreed to let them re-release Born To Quit. This meant the band would have to do a second tour for the album and would push a new album back at least a year. Caterer didn’t mind the fact that Born To Quit would be released again. "They thought it was a really good record, and I thought it was a really good record too, so hey."
The only place the band has been heard in the past two years has been on soundtracks. Caterer enjoys having his songs in films because it’s an easy way to get the songs out and they’re easy to do. "They don’t require any effort, just say yes." Just last summer "My Lucky Day" was featured in Boys. But Caterer will admit that "our publicist kind of went crazy to get us on all these soundtracks."

What is perhaps the greatest appeal of the Popes is the contrast in the music and the vocals. The band can play cutting punk rhythms while Caterer softly croons over the racing guitars. The effect is one similar to Frank Sinatra singing punk rock. Even so, what really sets the Popes about from other pop-punk bands is Caterer’s jaded and brilliantly twisted view of relationships. On Get Fired he wrote "Let’s hear if for letting someone totally ruin your life / Let’s hear it for love," and on Born To Quit he compared obsessing to a disease in "Rubella."
The new album promises to be more of the same. Get Fired was definitely more punk than Born To Quit, but the second album featured superior musicianship and focused on catchy pop beats. The second album also featured a more optimistic theme, but Caterer says Failure is back to a more pessimistic look. Caterer had trouble describing the sound of the new album but settled with "a healthy mix of mellow stuff and harder stuff." He also added that Failure is "more of a serious album." The band’s web page stated that the new album, which was produced by Green Day’s Jerry Finn, went over budget and over schedule. The album was in fact under budget and on schedule. Caterer is not too happy about the information found on the so called "official" website. "Over half of that information is completely false. We should find the guy in charge and tell him to go fuck himself."
The Smoking Popes have always garnered a multitude of critical acclaim and have been called ‘the next big thing’ by many critics (including myself two years ago). This can sometimes be the downfall of young bands. Chicago has seen Urge Overkill, Triple Fast Action, and Material Issue all fail when trying to live up to their expectations. But Caterer has remained pretty level headed about all the attention. "It didn’t take long to realize it doesn’t make any difference," says Caterer. Caterer made it clear that the band is not in it for the money. The Smoking Popes are looking for a steady career and not quick fame. "There are easier ways to get famous than playing rock music," Caterer adds. The Smoking Popes have yet to sell a million album or headline the Horizon, but the band is more than a local success story. Critical acclaim trails after the Popes like ashes from a cigarette. Destination Failure is one of Capitol’s prime releases in early ’97 and a major tour is going to follow. Catch the band while you can because Caterer is hoping to relocate to California. The Popes look to continue a steady career in rock, but if the band ever decides to just cash it in Caterer has a plan. "I figure we could become famous if we were the first band to OD on pot."