If you could introduce yourselves for us, who are you?
We are Jeremiah Christian Smith and Noah McKinley Smith. Together we make Jeremiah McKinley. Two brothers on a mission to make folk rock music and share it with the world.
How did you all meet?
I didn’t meet Noah until I was seven years old. He didn’t say much when we first met. He just kind of laid around and drank milk. A year or so later once he had given up his vow of silence and began speaking we started to realize that we had a ton in common. We grew up all of ten feet from each other, most of that time in bunk beds. Being the top bunk is very difficult, especially with my sleepwalking tendencies but we’ve made it work and are still best friends.
How long have you been playing?
My brother Noah has been playing guitar since he was in middle school. He had lessons and stopped for a while to focus on sports but eventually he picked it back up. I have only been playing for about five years. I had always wanted to learn guitar but had never pulled the trigger until I got out of college. My brother helped me learn some chords and we have been a band ever since.
What three words would you use to describe the music you play?
Dirty, Honest, Real.
What are your musical influences?
There are so many. My brother Noah’s guitar playing has certainly been influenced by John Mayer, Hendrix, and some of the more ethereal tones of Lord Huron, Hippo Campus, and Caamp. Growing up we listened to all sorts of music and I have really been influenced by some of the great songwriting and voices of Amy Winehouse, The Black Keys, Jack White, Ray LaMontagne, and Bob Dylan.
Being away from the stages since last year, where is the one place you’d visit when the restrictions are lifted?
This band started after seeing The Head and The Heart at The Ritz in Raleigh. So we would love to get back there at some point. We had already been playing but after watching such an electric show we were energized and really started taking our music making more seriously.
What’s the one record you own but wouldn’t ever admit to owning?
I don’t know. We have a wide range of taste and aren’t embarrassed by what we like. One album that I always have in rotation is Back To Black by Amy Winehouse. She has such a killer voice that cuts right through you, and lyrics that seem so honest and personal. Listening and singing her songs are really what helped me shape how I sing and write.
What have you been listening to in the last few weeks?
The Bones of JR Jones. He has such a great sound and writes really killer songs. Also some Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, Kings Of Leon, The Heavy, Elton John, Queen, The Turnpike Troubadours, Tyler Childers and Eric Church.
Are there any releases you have planned in the near future?
We have two singles going live in the coming months. It Ain’t Easy will be out November 26. It is a song my brother Noah wrote in the back of a pickup truck while riding in the mountains in a downpour. It is about feeling cold and alone and having to cope with being on your own. Wedding Toast will be coming out in January. We are also in the middle of recording our second album. There are a lot of cool songs we’re working on and we hope to be putting it out sometime next spring.
Check out Jeremiah McKinley via:
Almost Anything Music 