Tony Smith of Sleeper Agent appeared with The Hollywood Kills March 17, 2009 at Tidballs. Photo by Pennman.

1. Sleeper Agent website
2. Galen Smith’s Sleeper Agent Facebook group

Singer/Songwriter Tony Smith is the creative foundation of Sleeper Agent.  The following is a short interview with Smith conducted via email as followup to research for an article on the evolution of the Bowling Green band which gained national exposure throughout 2011.

We Got Drunk and Did This was well received on MySpace, but Bigger Than a Baby’s Arm was not so much. Why do you think that was? What did you learn from that experience? Did it result in conscious changes for the band, if so what?

With “We Got Drunk And Did This” we had the element of surprise. Nobody, including us, knew what to expect from it. It was an under thought project we did for fun in our drummer’s basement. The title mirrors the experience we had making that EP. We literally bought a case of beer and recorded those 5 songs. “Bigger Than A Baby’s Arm”, at least for me, was over thought, rushed and we’d lost that element of surprise to ourselves and others.

You’ve been the central creator as far as writing and concept and often a lead vocalist for all your bands and they have varied from electronic dance to punk, emo and alt pop. Are there other music genres you aspire to explore in the future, whether with Sleeper Agent or side projects – if so what?

There’s no limit to what you can explore through music and I wouldn’t mind trying it all. This applies to Sleeper Agent too. We’ve never said, “We’re ONLY a ROCK N’ ROLL band!”.

The band’s talked about how quickly Celebrasion came together and I’ve seen the time lapse study marathon. Is this method of intense extended bursts of creativity just a product of those circumstances or an indication of how your creative process flows? Could you comment a bit about how you work in isolation before presenting to the band?

“Brevity is the soul of wit… Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.”

You’ve commented on song content being influenced by teen relationships to television/movie interests to expressing how Alex feels. Lyrically, how have your themes changed over time?

I turned 25 back in February and I feel that my adolescence is now behind me. Often, I’ve lyrically explored what that’s going to mean, but now I’d like to figure out what that actually means to me.

Clearly you like to play with words and combinations of them. You’ve made it very hard for me to keep up with the evolution of various music projects doing the same with nicknames 😉 Decades, I assume were middle names or family names? In the beginning Sleeper Agent avoided using real names at all – was this your concept and what was the motivation behind it?

Being in a band is fun. Growing up, playing music was a break from reality. It’s like picking up a stick and thinking, “This is my sword” and pointing at a large tree and saying, “I’m going to slay that dragon”. Music has always had its characters and our nicknames were a fun way to role-play.

Masks also seem to be a reoccurring theme visually with your music and film projects. Can you comment in general about certain themes and visual or music imagery that reoccurs in your artistic endeavors over time and why?

It’s like the movie, Jaws. You don’t see the whole shark till the movie’s almost over and when it’s finally revealed, it’s spectacular.

You are directing the next video for the band. Any sort of teaser you can offer about what you have in mind?

There will be masks.

Matt Shultz also had his professional video directorial debut with one of your videos. The two of you have exchanged ideas and advice through most of your adult lives – Has he offered any thoughts on the experience or advice that seemed particularly useful?

I’m not sure if Matt knows we’re even making a new video. We see each other less frequently these days.

Your dad says you spent much of your childhood filming and your degree is in graphic design – do you have aspirations for the future endeavors creating visually, independent of or in addition to music?

I’d love to be able to do it all. Music’s my gateway to explore other and all art forms.

You seem extremely positive and to have always had strong social connections, a sense of self and confidence in your artistic abilities, but your early MySpace blogs seem to suggest darker, more isolated and emotional periods. Is that the case? If so, do you have any comments as far as adolescents with similar perspectives as far as coping, evolving passed that or making that energy productive?

If anything, MySpace and other blogs were instruments to express ideas that wouldn’t necessarily fit into a friendly everyday conversation. However, the internet is much darker, public and socially connected now then it was in 2005. I don’t think I’ll ever be as open with it now as I used to be.

What was it that piqued your interest MySpace song by Alex?

It reminded me of something that I would do when I was her age. It’s rare to find a natural creative partner who’s passionate and really, truly wants to pursue music full time.

Who is your favorite monster and why?

The “INDUSTRY!” Just kidding.

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Galen and Patty Smith, Tony Smith’s parents, also shared some insights regarding his early musical development.

Were there signs growing up that your son would choose a career in rock n roll and have the dedication to make it happen? Is there another path you were expecting them/encouraging them to take before Sleeper Agent took off?

Galen: I think with Tony being an only child, he spent a lot of time by himself after school playing a box guitar and writing songs at an early age. He started playing around the age of 10. I never thought that he was really going to be a professional musician until Sleeper Agent got their record deal with Mom + Pop Music of New York City a couple years ago.

I always thought it was just going to be a hobby or something like that he would always do in spare time like a lot of kids around Bowling Green and WKU do. I thought when he finished his degree at Western (which he graduated in 2010), that he would get a job in graphic arts somewhere and play music on the side. Boy, was I wrong! I always knew Tony was talented, but not to the extent that it has become known in the music circles around Bowling Green and elsewhere.

The band says that all the parents are very supportive, in what ways have you tried to nurture their talent and facilitate their efforts towards a career in music? Was there a specific moment when it hit you that Sleeper Agent was moving to the next level and becoming a viable career choice?

Galen: I remember when he wrote the song “Be My Monster” for their debut album, “Celebrasion” he was in his bedroom at our home and working on his computer laying down some of the first demo tracks or whatever, he kept playing it over and over and over. I was thinking to myself “What the hell? This kid is getting on my nerves with that stuff!”

I also remember their first year of touring with “Cage The Elephant” (last year) it was a very exciting time for all of us parents. Patty and I were just besides ourselves and extremely proud of Tony and his band mates. Now, I think we are getting used to the fact that writing, recording and playing music is Tony’s chosen path in life and it has become a way of life which has become his career with a small income currently but with great earning potential in the future. Basically, he is living his dream. And not everybody can say that they are doing that these days.

Patty: I will say this, I am the oldest band mom at 63. Tony cut his teeth on my music, Amy Grant, John Denver, the Carpenters, etc. I sang to him all the time I was pregnant. I always knew he was brilliant but thought he would turn out to be a writer. He’s been the love of my life, my only son!!! born when I was thirty-eight, and I’ll tell you this, It’s not easy following a rock band around when you are a senior citizen.

I didn’t realize he had graduated WKU. I forget the others are older than Alex. So was his major graphic design? Did he do a lot of visual art along with the music growing up?

Yeah, Tony was constantly drawing and creating things as a child and as a teenager. As far as his artwork, he won several awards while he attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School and Bowling Green Middle School and Bowling Green High School. He once had some of his artwork displayed in the State Capital in Frankfort at the request of State Sen. Jody Richards.

He made a lot of films too with the video camera around the house too along with his childhood buddies. He was constantly making movies as a child. But he was more into music as he became a teenager though. He’s been in several bands prior to Sleeper Agent in Bowling Green. The New Eclectics, Decade of Experts and Assassins and Downtown Handshake.

Note: Galen Smith runs Sleeper Agent and Cage the Elephant Facebook groups where he posts links to nearly every mention made of the bands and their members.