(upbeat rock music) (audience cheering) - [Announcer] Ocean State Sessions features performances by New England musicians, and brings you the stories behind the songs.

This time, Julie Rhodes is using rock and soul to make an award-winning song.

♪ My back's been hurtin' ♪ ♪ All my days, I ♪ ♪ I've been workin' ♪ ♪ Just tryin' to make a little money ♪ ♪ For the shelter ♪ - [Announcer] While Smug Honey shakes a groove made of jazz and soul.

(playing smooth jazz music) (continues playing smooth jazz music) (playing casual rock music) (continues playing casual rock music) (continues playing casual rock music) ♪ My, oh my ♪ ♪ My back's been hurtin' ♪ ♪ All my days, I, I've been workin' ♪ ♪ Just tryin' to make a little money ♪ ♪ For the shelter ♪ ♪ I'm just losing it all ♪ ♪ Just tryin' to get there all right ♪ ♪ They got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ Ooh no, no ♪ ♪ They got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ It makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Ooh lord, it makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Collector man, please ♪ ♪ Collector man callin' ♪ ♪ He's got me on that line ♪ ♪ Ooh, he said he wants ♪ ♪ He said he wants every hard-earned dime ♪ ♪ He's been shakin' me up ♪ ♪ No, no ♪ ♪ You know he's bleedin' me dry ♪ ♪ He's just telling me lies ♪ ♪ My, oh my ♪ ♪ They got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ Oh, they got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ It makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Ooh lord ♪ ♪ It makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Collector man, please ♪ (playing electric guitar) (continues playing electric guitar) (continues playing electric guitar) (continues playing electric guitar) ♪ Countryside rollin' through my mind ♪ ♪ Oh, visions of freedom ♪ ♪ On that highway sign ♪ ♪ I just wanna let go ♪ ♪ And find another life ♪ ♪ Oh take me down that road ♪ ♪ My, oh my ♪ ♪ They got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ Oh, they got me diggin' my ♪ ♪ Diggin' my shovel deep ♪ ♪ It makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Ooh lord, it makes a woman weep ♪ ♪ Collector man, please ♪ ♪ Collector man calling ♪ ♪ Collector man calling, yeah ♪ ♪ Collector man calling ♪ ♪ Ooh, collector man calling ♪ ♪ I said collector man calling ♪ ♪ I said collector man calling ♪ ♪ Collector man calling ♪ (audience members applauding) Thank you, guys.

That was a song called "Collector Man".

I wrote that when I was living in Boston and working at an ice cream shop.

I could barely make the rent, and I had debt collectors calling me everyday, and I wrote that song as a metaphor for how we kind of need to be working ourselves to death in order to live.

So yeah, that's what that is about.

So Julie.

Julie was a weird little kid.

(Julie vocalizing) (Julie laughs) I'm Julie Rhodes.

I'm singer-songwriter for the band Julie Rhodes and the Electric Company.

♪ I've been unhappy ♪ ♪ All my life ♪ ♪ It seems like all I do is sacrifice ♪ I grew up a latchkey kid, so I'd go home, and watch all of the boy bands on TV, and I loved that for a time.

But as I got a little bit older, I just didn't feel like I fit in there.

I never really saw anyone on TV, on those shows, that really looked the same way that I did, that seemed to fit in the same way that I did.

♪ It ain't wrong to want a little more sunshine ♪ ♪ I ain't insane for wanting a little more rain ♪ The question about influences is tricky for me to answer, because there's a lot of music that I love to listen to that I'm not necessarily trying to write, like a Brittany Howard song, an Alabama Shakes song, but I do love those artists, and I listen to them all the time.

♪ You can break a lot of reasons for you ♪ I also absolutely need to mention the band Punchline.

I remember them really having a space for me.

There were a lot of bands that I loved, for just musical reasons, and for their playing abilities, and stuff.

And the thing that they brought to me the most was a space, to exist as myself.

You know what I mean?

And I think that that's something that I always wanna carry, and be that for other people.

A space to just be free, and be themselves, and no matter what you look like, or who you love, or who you are, where you come from.

♪ Don't call me when you know the flowers are gone ♪ ♪ And the skies are cloudy ♪ (playing soft guitar music) (continues playing soft guitar music) (playing soft blues music) ♪ I don't know why you've been crying ♪ ♪ You ain't seen the troubles that could have been ♪ ♪ I don't know why you've been crying ♪ ♪ Love's all around you ♪ ♪ All you gotta do ♪ ♪ Is go and find it ♪ ♪ Look out your window ♪ ♪ See the sun as it's rising ♪ ♪ If you believe everything that you see ♪ ♪ You've been blinded ♪ ♪ Open your eyes ♪ ♪ Look up to the sky ♪ ♪ And take some time to realize ♪ ♪ Even when you're on your own ♪ ♪ You're not alone ♪ ♪ I don't know why you've been hiding ♪ ♪ You ain't seen the reasons to let go ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ I don't know why you've been hiding ♪ ♪ It's gonna hurt sometimes ♪ ♪ But honey, don't you mind ♪ ♪ Look out your window ♪ ♪ And see the sun as it's rising ♪ ♪ And if you believe everything that you see ♪ ♪ You've been blinded ♪ ♪ Open your eyes ♪ ♪ Look up to the sky ♪ ♪ And take some to realize ♪ ♪ Even when you're on own ♪ ♪ Oh, you're not alone ♪ (playing electric guitar) (continues playing electric guitar) ♪ Open your eyes ♪ ♪ Look up to the sky ♪ ♪ Take some time to realize ♪ ♪ Even when you're on your own ♪ ♪ Oh, you're not alone ♪ ♪ Even when you're on your own ♪ ♪ You're not alone ♪ - All right, hello everybody.

We are Smug Honey, and this one's called "Blue Moon".

- One, two, three, four.

(playing funky jazz music) (continues playing funky jazz music) ♪ She walked up and she said let's go ♪ ♪ And then we traveled to a land with unordinary people ♪ ♪ Let's jump in the lake, we'll fly to the moon ♪ ♪ Anything goes when you're treading, treading with her ♪ ♪ No I can't see what's round the corner ♪ ♪ But I'm gonna keep pressing on ♪ ♪ All the same people today ♪ ♪ I don't really wanna stay ♪ ♪ Where are you, 'cause I'm looking for you ♪ ♪ Can't imagine, I need a blue moon ♪ ♪ You gotta be out there ♪ ♪ Got this feeling in my veins ♪ ♪ But it's gotta last ♪ ♪ So don't change the tune ♪ (playing funky jazz music) ♪ Don't wake up, don't pass go ♪ ♪ Don't stand around ♪ ♪ Thinking something big is gonna hit you ♪ ♪ These miracles, they only come ♪ ♪ When, when, when ♪ ♪ When you're standing around ♪ ♪ So stop me now from standing around ♪ ♪ And mentioning little things that'll bore you ♪ ♪ Let's jump in the lake, or fly to the moon ♪ ♪ 'Cause anything goes ♪ ♪ Where are you, 'cause I'm looking for you ♪ ♪ I can't imagine, I need a blue moon ♪ ♪ I can't even imagine, got this feeling in my veins ♪ ♪ But it's gotta last ♪ ♪ So don't change the tune ♪ (playing funky jazz music) (continues playing funky jazz music) (playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) ♪ Where are you, 'cause I'm looking for you ♪ ♪ I can't imagine, I need a blue moon ♪ ♪ You gotta be out there, got this feeling in my veins ♪ ♪ But it's gotta last, so don't change the tune ♪ ♪ Whoa ♪ ♪ Where are you, 'cause I'm looking for you ♪ ♪ I can't imagine, I need a blue moon ♪ ♪ Gotta be out there, got this feeling in my veins ♪ ♪ But it's gotta last, so don't change the tune ♪ (playing funky jazz music) (continues playing funky jazz music) (audience members applauding) - That was a song called "Blue Moon", and I wrote it when I was about 18 years old- - Sheesh.

- And so it's really about, yeah, it was a long time ago, right?

So, it's really about being spontaneous, and really not knowing what's ahead, and just accepting that, and going with the flow.

I was such a cool 18-year-old.

Just kidding.

(both chuckling) My name is Luca Simeone.

I'm from South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and I'm a part of Smug Honey.

♪ I gotta put this away ♪ ♪ I can't seem to clear my mind ♪ ♪ Save it for another day ♪ ♪ And it's hard ♪ Smug Honey consists of four members, and we're all really good friends.

Right now, we're all in college.

Two students go to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and two go to the University of Rhode Island.

We're a really close-knit group.

This isn't a group that formed just through music, it was really through friendship and camaraderie, and just having a really good time along with the music.

♪ Hazel eyes, time flies ♪ ♪ I want to go to the end of time ♪ ♪ Made up lies, common sighs ♪ ♪ Shooting the past reputations ♪ I think you can really see the chemistry between players when they are friends outside of music, and when they keep relationships in that way.

♪ Should have known it's in my bones ♪ ♪ Help me take off this mask ♪ We know each other personally, not just on a musical level.

And I think that really helps with, on the stage, not just being with them, right?

Being on the stage with them, the audience can really see people connecting with music in live time.

- All right, this next song is called "Looking For You".

This one's an old song, too.

I think like 2020, we were locked away during quarantine, and we all were making music on our own, and it was really nice getting together, and letting all those ideas out, and this is one of those ideas.

It's called "Looking For You".

- One, two.

One, two, three, four.

(playing soft jazz music) (continues playing soft jazz music) ♪ I close my eyes for a second ♪ ♪ As you walk on by ♪ ♪ Why do I even bother ♪ ♪ 'Cause I like to waste my time ♪ ♪ All caught up in your antics, yeah ♪ ♪ Don't know how I survived, hey ♪ ♪ I'm content with just watching ♪ ♪ Whoa, yeah ♪ ♪ But I'd rather die while trying ♪ ♪ I can't believe ♪ ♪ That all of these years I was looking for you, baby ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ ♪ My life has changed ♪ ♪ Flipped upside down, I was looking for you, baby ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ (playing soft jazz music) ♪ Wide awake in the morning ♪ ♪ And a lazy afternoon ♪ ♪ I don't try to contain it ♪ ♪ Hey, yeah ♪ ♪ I let the flowers bloom ♪ ♪ I can't believe ♪ ♪ That all of these years, I was looking for you ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ ♪ My life has changed ♪ ♪ Flipped upside down, I was looking for you, baby ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ ♪ I can't believe ♪ ♪ That all of these years, I was looking for you, baby ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ ♪ My life has changed ♪ ♪ It's flipped upside down ♪ ♪ I was looking for you, baby ♪ ♪ I was looking for you ♪ (playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) (continues playing trumpet) ♪ Whoa, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ Oh, whoa ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ For you ♪ ♪ For you ♪ (upbeat rock music) - [Announcer] For more Ocean State Sessions, plus all your Rhode Island PBS favorites, visit ripbs.org.

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