St. Louis Showed Up for Smidley’s Record Release Party at Off Broadway
— by Carrie Zukoski
St. Louis’ Conor Murphy has long gone by the moniker Smidley. It’s also been a side musical passion project of his until the demise of alt/emo rock darlings Foxing, of which Murphy was the lead singer, at the end of 2025. And while Murphy has previously released music under Smidley, it wasn’t until recently that he became more serious about the band. FYI, Smidley was the name of Murphy’s childhood dog, which you can find out more about, along with talk about the upcoming album and more, in this recent interview on Flirt FM’s Stretching the Signal show starting at about the 15-minute mark.
So, it was only fitting a record release party be held for Smidley’s third album, Murphy Horse, that’s due out on September 25, 2026.
South St. Louis’ long-time music venue Off Broadway hosted the Friday night event that also included a dog adoption event, interactive painting, a tattoo artist, on-demand screened t-shirt prints, and music from The Mall and Shinra Knives.
The musical part of the night started just after 8 p.m. with Shinra Knives, a.k.a. Ian Jones, sharing he wouldn’t talk much but he hoped you enjoyed his creations. With the aid of images projected on a screen, Knives commanded the mixer decks for a 30-minute set that took the audience on a ride that included deep bass tones that rattled one’s bones to transcendental grooves that thumped, wafted, and eventually floated into a heavier, darker space.
The Mall, which is now a one-person act, came onto the darkened stage lit with two balls of laser lights just before 9 p.m. for an all-too-short 25-minute set. Mark Plant now works the synths to bring out hypnotic, danceable beats while vocalizing guttural growls and snarls. The growing crowd danced and bopped in appreciation of Plant’s synth/punk sounds they’ve perfected over the years. Fan favorite, aggressive, yet trance-inducing, “An Answer” made the cut.
At about 9:40 p.m., the lights dimmed as “The Reason” by Hoobastank piped in through the house speakers (which the band also covered near the end of their set). The now full house shifted forward as they sang aloud to the lyrics. Murphy and band members, Brett Torrence (also from Foxing) on guitar, Jack Middeke on drums, and two others (sorry, we’re not sure who they are, help) strode onto stage, greeting the adoring fans. For the next hour, Smidley performed several songs from Murphy Horse, including the title track as well as “Corpse Flower,” “People Like You,” and “Old Things Never Die.” They closed the night with “Love in Every Direction.” The new music pulls from several genres, including shoegaze, ’80s rock, and power-pop. Smidley is more melodic, and most of The Foxing’s angst is buried.
This iteration of Murphy is one he should be proud of, and we’re grateful he’s still creating in St. Louis and doing his part to keep the St. Louis music scene vibrant.
See all photos we snapped of the night here: https://bit.ly/Smidley26cz
Smidley setlist https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/smidley/2026/off-broadway-st-louis-mo-b71d542.html
