We spoke with Smooth Retsina Glow about “Strike of Lightning” and more!

Q: “Strike of Lightning” hits with a strong energy. Can you walk us through the moment the idea for this song struck you (pun totally intended) and how it turned into what we hear now?

A: When I write, I usually sit down with a guitar ( or keyboard) and Ill try to find something that surprises me, or if it sounds like something I never did before.  I’m not the type of writer who writes everyday, or as soon as they get up, but at the same time, I still find time to be creative when inspiration comes. As far as the writing, I write the songs- lyrics, melodies, chord structures, but I also give my groupmates a certain free reign into “arranging” the piece- our drummer Quincy Wellen especially has a lot of input into how the songs are arranged. I might have a certain rhythmic idea of how I think I like it, but if he suggests anything different that I wouldn’t have thought otherwise, I am perfectly suited to try out whatever he or any other one of my groupmates like. We put time into our arranging sessions, but we also try not to overdo it too much, and Id say give us 3 days to develop whatever songs we’re working on, and we’ll have the nuts and the bolts all complete to a large degree. 

Q: When you started writing this track, were you chasing a certain emotion or story, or did it just come together naturally in the studio?

A: It just comes as it comes. I try not to overthink these sorts of things! 

Q: The song has this cool tension and release in the arrangement. Did that come from a specific riff or lyric, or did it grow as you jammed together?

A: It  happened as it was meant to happen. Occasionally in my experience, if we try to aim for something too literally, it will backfire, so more times then not, its better to listen to what the song suggests. For your readers and hopeful songwriters/ composers, read Herbie Hancock’s Possibilities memoir, and notice how he describes the creation of Maiden Voyage. 

Q: The title “Strike of Lightning” feels really visual and powerful. What does lightning mean to you in this song? Is it about a realization, a relationship, or something else?

A: Realization. Or something completely instantaneous. Doesn’t lighting come seemingly random anyway? 

Q: You formed back in 2019 in the Lehigh Valley and have been through some changes along the way. How did that journey shape this song and the sound you’ve built around it?

A: I wouldn’t necessarily describe this song as autobiographical, but I believe working with this lineup of people ( Sandra Warner, Devin Wachter, and Quincy Wellen) has been particularly rewarding professionally and personally. Sometimes I can write from the point of view of somebody else rather then something specifically I’ve experienced, which is one of the perks of being a working musician, and traveling all around the Tri- State area can expose anyone to a lot of imagery and experiences.  Its entirely possible that something I might have read, or witnessed would have ended up in the final product, although its not something I overly analyze or try to think. I think my group mates’ contributions have been imperative to the latest incarnation( especially Quincy Wellen due to his arranging strengths and ways of modifying what I bring in) , and as I’ve evolved myself that all seeps into the final product. Of c

Q: Your music’s been described as having that mix of alternative rock and dreamy, psych elements. How did you decide how far to lean into that sound on this track?

A: Its fair to say on this album we played to our strengths, and Psychedelia can be thought of as something not just limited to backwards effects,  or phasing/ sitar, or anything that gives a Summer of Love tinge to it! I am being a touch facetious- alot of great records did come from 67, like the first album that inspired my music- the Beatles Magic Mystery tour. To me, Alternative Rock can be a broad umbrella for being diverse, and Psych can also appear to the composition- the song structure and the music elements that go in. Overall they’re simply labels. That being said, for one of the overdubs, I utilized an EHX Mel9 pedal, which emulates a mellotron ( Strawberry Fields anyone), and I did use the Flute setting. Didnt go out for that, but it was lying around the studio, and it worked well. 

Q: What was recording this song like? Any unexpected moments or fun stories from the studio?

A:  It was the first song that we cut. Initially, we had a different lineup when we recorded it- in December of 2024 we were basically just myself, and our drummer Quincy Wellen. We initially had another covocalist whose basis of Location, Location Location  bassist we were vetting who ultimately didnt work out- Ill spare you the gory details but it was pretty ugly.  Our previous vocalist who could only go so far to a certain point had moved out to the west coast, so we needed some background vocalist so we got our good friend Steve Rivera to contribute backing vocals on this, and several other tracks from our latest record. It’s also worth mentioning Steve connected us with our current co-vocalist Sandra Warner, and we ultimately erased the old bass tracks, and got our current Bassist Devin Wachter to flesh it out.

Q: How do you see “Strike of Lightning” fitting into your bigger picture as a band? Does it mark a shift in direction or feel like part of the same path you’ve been carving out? 

A: I think you could say that it takes all of the better aspects of our sounds and distills into something that while you could say something about the writing tilt of it,  it still has a contemporary aspect to it. Quincy’s rhythm on the track is among his best he’s brought, and while he swings the beat ( so Ive heard from other drummers) it sounds and feels like something you could hear on a mainstream radio station. 

Q: If listeners could walk away from this song with just one feeling or message, what would you want that to be?

A: Exuberance 

Q: You’re known for playing tons of shows, even during the tougher years. What’s one performance that really stands out to you, good or bad, and why?

A: With almost 1000 shows to our name in 6 years, its hard to pinpoint, but Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pine Ridge Memorial Jam, and some of the summer concert series. Very few negative shows. Remember the good! 

Q: When you’re doing back-to-back shows, what helps you keep the performance feeling fresh for both you and the audience?

A: Improvisation within the set. Even though a lot of our music has elements in terms of the rhythm, chord voicings, and melody that is prescribed for a certain effect, our music has  aspects that gives room to ad-lib, particularly in the instrumental sections. While I generally utilize a particular sound and way of improvising song to song, the way I approach the finer details can vary night to night quite a lot . As far as the cover songs we feature in our set, the same concept applies. If we’re playing a song like Peter Frampton’s Do you Feel like I do, I use the talkbox. Same thing with Voodoo Child- a wah is almost a given to use. But while I’ve done transcribing over the course of many years, the idea is to get to the point where you can get to the point where you have a vocabulary to draw on, and in the course of a 2-3 show you can go through without repeating yourself night after night. 

Q: Looking ahead to the rest of this year, what’s next for Smooth Retsina Glow? Are you planning more singles, an album, or a tour your fans should get ready for?

A: Our album Incandescence is out now on any streaming platform you choose to stream on, so be sure to check it out! We released a single in October called Once More to Live which preceded  the record released in late October 2025 , and we will be planning another remix of another song of ours from the record, with a rapper friend of Quincy’s. The current year is filling up rapidly- even in this winter we have managed do it a busy performing schedule- usually 3-4 a week, and next month we are going back into the studio- to begin a new recording process! We may even have the means to go to the Jersey shore soon to record- stay tuned, and subscribe on our socials to see what transpires in the meantime!