Strange Plants Release Playful Psychedelic Pop Single, “Horseshoe Smile,” From Forthcoming Debut Album (Out June 6th)
Strange Plants return with “Horseshoe Smile,” a bouncy psychedelic pop throwback that lives somewhere between Tears For Fears and The Beatles’ Revolver-era. Happy, trippy, and just the right amount of weird, the track playfully critiques curated digital personas and the exaggerated performances people put on to appear perfect. The song’s title refers to the exaggerated “horseshoe” shape of over-laughed upper teeth – a not-so-subtle jab at the fakeness we often witness in public and online personas.
Driven by a rad horn arrangement in the bridge, “Horseshoe Smile” leans fully into its retro-pop influences while distorting them through a funhouse mirror. The song came together quickly – unusually so for guitarist Matt Brannon, who also serves as the track’s lead vocalist, unlike the previously released singles. He was experimenting with a slower finger-picked acoustic riff before the whole vibe snapped into focus. The result? A feel-good jam with a sharp lyrical wink.
Produced by multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deer Tick), “Horseshoe Smile” is featured on Strange Plants’ eponymous debut album, recorded at the iconic Creative Workshop Studio in Nashville and officially out on June 6th, 2025.
Bandleader Matt Brannon shares,
“The absurdity of life shows up a lot in our songs, and this one wears that proudly.“
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
We’re Strange Plants, a creative duo from Halifax, Nova Scotia: Travis Flint and Matt Brannon. We met about 6 years ago and have been through a few musical projects together. They have all felt like stepping stones to Strange Plants.
Tell us about your recent release.
Our recent release is “Horseshoe Smile,” the third single from our debut record. It’s a psychedelic-pop head-bobber that evokes a combination of Tears for Fears, Sgt Pepper’s, and The Flaming Lips. It’s a satirical take on the world being run by phonies and narcissists.
How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?
In terms of writing, we are both natural idea generators. Travis is more riff-oriented and will always send along little voice notes with these great little motifs; I can usually see the whole song from one 30-second idea. I’m more structure and melody driven, and together we live happily on the grounds of fun or interesting rhythms and feel.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?
Beyond that, nearly every track has a unique genesis and a widely varying blend of each other’s musical DNA.
In terms of the near term, it’s “content! content! content!”. We’re trying to make people aware of the music and to give it a chance. We did a trippy fun video for it and have shared some live cuts from our first show.
On June 7th, we’re doing our album release show at The Sanctuary in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. A cool venue converted from an old church; should be a really fun night!
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
In terms of career highlights, the making of this record is way up there for both of us. We went and spent a week with our good pal, Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deertick) in Nashville, who produced it for us. We spent the whole time at the legendary Creative Workshop Studio and managed to get 11 beds done in that time. We worked with a fabulous engineer in Parker Cason and were joined by Adam Meisterhans on guitar. We think the joy and camaraderie of making this album really shine through in the music.
Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?
In terms of who we’re listening to; we’ve both been playing a lot of Goldie Boutilier, who is from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her music is super fun, kind of a Stevie Nicks meets Tammy Wynette vocal, set against really vibey, dreamy grooves.