Q&A: Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts Take Control of their Destiny in ‘Rogue to Redemption’
CRAFTING A RECORD THAT REDEFINES REDEMPTION ON ITS OWN TERMS – Tuk Smith, the hard-hitting frontman of Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts, returns with his sophomore album Rogue to Redemption. Released through his own label, Gypsy Rose Records, the album is not just a testament to Smith’s raw, gritty sound, but also to his commitment to creative freedom.
“It's very gratifying to be in control of your own destiny and do it yourself,” Smith explains, reflecting on his decision to go independent. This DIY ethos runs deep in his music and mirrors the thematic arc of his latest project.
Rogue to Redemption marks a pivotal moment for Smith, who describes the album as “like a hero’s journey.” With character arcs and emotionally charged storytelling elements embedded into its core, Smith wanted to ensure his music had depth beyond the hooks and riffs. “I like my music to have character arcs,” he says, underscoring how each track on the record taps into different phases of personal evolution – struggles, triumphs and the moments in between.
From the opening notes, the album captures a sense of raw prowess and defiance, only to transition into more introspective and redemptive themes as it progresses. Smith’s signature style is alive and well, with roaring guitars, searing solos, and vocal grit that calls back to rock’s golden era while still feeling fresh and urgent. But what sets Rogue to Redemption apart from his previous work is the emotional gravitas. There’s a cinematic quality to the album’s structure, as each song builds on the last, crafting a full-circle journey for the listener.
What makes this album even more remarkable is Smith’s decision to release it independently through his label, Gypsy Rose Records. The result is an album that feels completely authentic — a reflection of his personal and artistic evolution. Smith’s ability to interlace rock’s timeless essence with a modern-day DIY approach is what makes Rogue to Redemption feel like a love letter to the genre while blazing a trail forward.
Fans of Smith’s earlier work with Biters will find plenty to love, as will those drawn to classic rock influences, from the Stooges to the Dolls. But it’s his fearless approach to storytelling and self-expression that truly makes this record shine.
Rogue to Redemption is a deeper exploration of the more personal and mature aspects of Smith’s artistry. This album doesn’t just evoke the raw energy of rock's golden era; it revives it with authenticity.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
TUK: I'm inspired by not just music, but movies and people I meet. I could watch something like Rocky or some shit and would be inspired to write a song. It’s different people and situations that have influenced me to write. But as far as stylistically, I'm just in love with rock n’ roll. I love all kinds of music. I love pop a lot, but personally, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, I can easily pick some cool shit out of any decade and integrate it into my sound. A lot of power pop, a lot of 70s glam and things like that, also I’m influenced heavily by the first wave of 70s British punk.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
TUK: I think that where I grew up and how I was raised in the area and just the sum of my life. I did a lot of partying and had a lot of fun, but I want to paint this picture. I came from a very rural, blue collar, working class background and everything, so it hasn't been champagne and strippers – even though I do enjoy that. That's a joke, by the way. It's less of a party thing. I'm more influenced by writers like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Van Morrison or Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy, or just things where it's more of a storytelling aspect. I like to have character arcs and tell stories and things like that, but do it under the guise of these big anthemic rock songs.
LUNA: You just released your sophomore record Rogue to Redemption on your own label Gypsy Rose Records and a huge congratulations is in order! I admire how it stays true to your DIY roots but continues to push boundaries from your previous releases. What is the inspiration behind the record and what are some themes and emotions you explore?
TUK: Thank you. Starting my label was something that I thought was going to be easier than it was. It definitely is a full time job, and it's very gratifying to be in control of your own destiny and do it yourself. But with that you're fully responsible. You can't blame anybody. So it's really like feet to the fire and it's cool. As far as musically, I've always wanted to do a three part album. The first record was called Ballad of a Misspent Youth, and it's not a dark album, but it's just laying the groundwork through these characters. And the second album, Rogue to Redemption, it’s basically like a hero's journey. This is the middle where the characters are getting out of their situations and having self discovery and things like that. I've got to write the third record, which will be the final in the trilogy. I don't know how I'm going to do it. I'm going to have to take some psychedelics or some shit, but we'll figure it out.
LUNA: I would love to talk more about the creative process behind Rogue to Redemption. Can you walk us through a typical writing and recording session for the album?
TUK: It usually stays the same. What I usually do is I sit at the piano, and I usually write most of the songs on piano. And then, because I produce records and I write with bands for a living, I'm blessed to be able to know how to make my own records. I call it a luxury, because I'm very blessed, even though it's a lot of work to be able to make my own records. So just knowing how to do it is half the battle. When I take the song from piano, I start building demos here and I usually flesh out the demos. They're not really demos, they're almost a finished product, and then I'll take the demo to the band, and they learn it. Then I'll go into a studio and we'll cut drums. I'll drag the Pro Tools session back here, and then I build off that. A lot of it is in solitude and you have to do a lot of self editing, and what I mean by that is, if you go down a rabbit hole, you could sit here literally for days working on a guitar solo or a vocal harmony. So my thing is to try to just get the feeling in five or six takes, to try to keep it as organic as possible, so you don't suck the life out of it totally.
LUNA: What is your favorite song from Rogue to Redemption and why do you love it? Is there a certain lyric or message that stands out to you the most?
TUK: That's hard, because I think as a musician, a lot of musicians are very self centered. You kind of have to be, and I don't like that quality. So I hate really talking about my music and things. I like “Still A Dreamer.” That's a cool song. I wrote that in like 30 minutes. I like “Take The Long Way,” because I wrote that in 15 minutes on the couch. The muse came down for that one. I think sometimes, special songs to me, it might not just be that I like it stylistically, but it feels like it was gifted to me from somewhere else and there's a magic to all this stuff. Any kind of artist or writing or creative, you have to create this shit out of thin air. There's no template. So when I'm gifted a song, as I say, that must mean I'm going in the right direction.
LUNA: This album was released on your own label, Gypsy Rose Records. How has the DIY process been for you? What were some of the biggest challenges and most rewarding moments?
TUK: That's a good question. I had a border collie. I loved her more than anything. Her name was Gypsy Rose, and she was 12 and she died the day I moved to Nashville, and had a really deep connection with her, so I thought that I would name the label after her. I started my own label because I got so sick of having my destiny in other people's hands. There's a lot of pros and cons. The pros to being on a bigger label is you have a budget to spend. You can do these cool, sexy videos, and you have a recording budget, and you have a team of people helping you, but then also you can't really do anything without their say. There's a process, and you've got to wait and everybody has to put their two cents in. I'm not like that. I like to hit the ground running, because as an artist, I need to get this stuff out of me because it's cleaning myself out emotionally. I just wanted to be able to release music at my own pace and do what I wanted. And luckily, I've had a lot of mentors that I've learned a lot from in the industry. The negative of having your own small label like this, is there's really no money. You have to figure out how to do everything on a budget. It makes sense for me, because I can do my own record for the most part. With some of the music videos, it's as low budget as possible, trying to figure out how to make it happen. It does force you to be creative. But I'll say at the end of the day, when I rest my head, I know that I'm doing this myself. I'm proud of everything and it means something more when you build it yourself.
LUNA: What were some unexpected lessons you learned during the self-production process, and how might those lessons shape the way you approach future projects?
TUK: That's a good question too. I underestimated the workload. My thing was that I'm going to do this waterfall release. I'm going to release songs every six weeks, and because I was so impatient, I only had two songs done, and I was like, ‘oh, I'll just release them, I'll just finish the others and release them.’ So the whole record, I was literally releasing a song and then sitting here and trying to finish the next one. I had this deadline cloud floating over me, so the next record, I'm going to finish everything so I don't have that. You have to do social media. When you're writing or recording, you don't feel like getting up and making videos and posting. Trying to toggle social media, being an artist, being the engineer, producer, wearing seven hats at one time, maybe divvy out some of those things next time. You're going up against these million dollar corporate labels and things, and they have relationships with streaming and relationships with booking agents and things like that. So it's almost like having a small business, like a coffee shop and then a Starbucks you're competing with. Just being aware of those pitfalls and managing expectations. People have been very supportive and buying the record, and it means the world to me.
LUNA: For musicians considering going the DIY route, what advice would you offer? What are some things you wish you had known earlier in your journey?
TUK: I think, depending on the style of music you're doing, I think first and foremost, you need to focus on the art, and that's going to be the songs and the presentation. A lot of people are focusing more on social media content and gimmicks and trying to cheat the algorithm to get social media followers before they really get great at making art or being a great live band. So always the music and the art first, then you can worry about your social media stuff. To me, you're going to feel better as an artist if you don't compromise yourself, because there's always going to be people saying you should do this, or this is hot, or every band sounds like this, why don't you do this? I just don't feel like any of my favorite artists were copycats or followed trends. They were trailblazers. I think it's really important to have your own identity now and be different more than ever, since everybody's jumping on trends. Don't compromise and work your ass off on your art.
LUNA: Your music resonates with a lot of people on a deeply personal level. How do you feel your connection with fans has evolved with the release of this new record?
TUK: Some of these songs are not really about me, but they kind of are. And if you're digging out your soul to write which you need to, I think, for something to be great, it's really scary and it's hard. It’s almost like going through therapy, even if you're telling a story about someone else, but it's still emotionally charged. I've never been to therapy, but I imagine it could be a painful process, but also therapeutic. You don't really know how people are going to react to it or not, because people can be so hateful online nowadays. When the record came out, the critical acclaim has been better than anything I've put out, and it seems like the reactions of my fans and listeners have been the most positive of anything I've put out, which makes me feel good, because you're wearing your heart on your sleeve and trying to be real. You're vulnerable and people can take advantage of that. But fortunately, I've been blessed for people to really have reacted to this record, so it does resonate with them. It's awesome. That's all you can hope for as a writer.
LUNA: You just played 18 shows in 21 days which is an incredible feat. Can you talk about your overall experience with this tour and some favorite moments?
TUK: The kind of style of music that I'm doing, it doesn't have a really big scene for it right now. I couldn't get any bigger bands to take me out for some reason. I said, fuck it. I'm just going to go with some book guy I know and do headline shows in Europe. We did the UK, Spain and France. It was very DIY and what I mean is that we had a driver, tour manager, a merch girl, and then it was us. It wasn't this glamorous thing where I just walk off the bus. When we did 18 shows in 21 days, it was fucking brutal. It was like being in rock n’ roll boot camp, just no reprieve. I'm just trying to take care of my voice, but also want to talk to fans and hug people and make connections. I'm getting sick because I'm hugging people because I love interacting, and then I'm playing, and then I can't party. I have to shut the fuck up and go to my hotel, which is all part of the job. The whole point is, I knew going in, I had to pace myself. I felt very strong the whole tour with the band and we had the most fun. We laughed till our ribs hurt, because you're just sitting in a van, and you just start talking crazy shit. I got to reconnect with so many people that liked my old band and they still followed me, like some of them have been following me for years. I met a bunch of new people. It was emotional to get back out there. It was very beautiful, and it was very sweaty and wild.
LUNA: You have a really strong presence in Japan. How did you build that connection?
TUK: A lot of rock n’ roll bands, their dream is to go to Japan, because you always hear these stories of how cool it is and you have to be invited or have a way in. It's a difficult Avenue. That's why not everybody goes over there. So apparently, this Japanese guy who used to live in Tokyo and work in the music industry, and now he lives in LA he was just on YouTube watching Thin Lizzy videos, and then one of my videos [Girls on the East Side of Town] was recommended. He flipped out. He got in touch with my manager and he wanted to see if he can work this in the Japanese market. He came back and he said the people at Sony Japan really love this record and they want to license it. Sony in the States is not signing any bands like me. They're just worried about pop and stuff, which is fine. We do a licensee deal. I gave them the rights to do the record over there, and they said that people are really liking the record over there and it’s featured in a lot of magazines. When I went over there, I didn't really have any expectations, and then it became very apparent very quickly that I was like a low level rock star. There's people at the hotels waiting, they're at the venue, at the bullet trains. I walked out on the stage in Tokyo and there's no openers. It's just fucking packed like almost capacity, and they know every single word and every song, and they're rabid and very emotional. We play Chicago and it's like 200 people, and it's cool, but you feel like you can't get your footing. Then you go to Tokyo, and these people are shaking when they meet you, it’s like a movie. It was very awesome, very humbling, and it was all just kind of luck. For some reason, the records have really resonated with Japanese people, which is crazy because I don't know how they decipher lyrics, because a lot of my lyrics have entendres and weird shit in the way they're written, but they love it.
LUNA: You’ve built a solid reputation for your live shows. How do you keep your performances fresh and engaging for both longtime fans and new listeners seeing you for the first time?
TUK: Not to digress, but like, we're playing in Spain, and I want the crowd to sing along. When you hear 200 people sing your songs in broken English back, it is so fucking funny, you can't help but laugh. It's a beautiful thing that it can cross language barriers. The live show, I try to keep it as spontaneous as possible. I don't do any scripting. There's certain parts on the set where I know I'm going to talk, but if you come to one of my shows, it's almost like a comedy show as well. What I mean by that is I really interact with the crowd and fuck with them lovingly and pull people on stage or play off people's energy. Now, I've gotten in trouble before because I say insane shit too so I've reeled it back. I keep it spontaneous. It's almost like a freestyle and it's better because it captures the moment. As far as energy, I try to die on stage. I tell people during the encore, there's nothing more than I love doing than destroying my body for rock n’ roll. I usually come off the stage shower wet with sweat, which just means you had a good show.
LUNA: Do you have any pre-show or post-show rituals or routines that help ensure you play your best performance?
TUK: Sure do. Each guy in the band is different. We have a newer lineup. The bass player likes to steam his stage clothes for about an hour and a half before every show, like a psycho. I mean, it's like a running joke. How long can you steam the same fucking pair of pants? Then my drummer likes to drink beer and listen to 90s rap music real loud, which is super fucking annoying to me, because I like to be quiet before I play. My new guitar player does transcendental meditation before he plays every show, which is awesome. I like to warm up my voice, and I do a lot of meditative breath work before I play and then I do a lot of cardio stuff. The show's so active, so I do push ups, jumping jacks, yoga, anything to really get me going. I drink whiskey before every show too. I feel like the combination of that is the yin and yang. It gets me just right.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like for you that you would love to share with Luna?
TUK: It's been really crazy, and a lot of ups and downs, and there have been a lot of highs and a lot of lows in my career. I think at this point, I don't have any expectations, because every time I get expectations and try to control things, it becomes not fun. So lately, this past year, I've been trying to just relinquish all control and just go and see where things take me. It's been working out. I haven't been receiving as much friction from the universe. As much as I like being an artist myself and doing my records, there's such a fulfilling thing of working with other artists and helping them and being in service to them. That really makes me feel good. I would always love to write and produce and work with other artists, because it feels selfless and I enjoy that. I would also love to be able to be heavily inspired to write another record this year, and I'm really looking forward to going out and playing some new shows. The most important thing is to have fun with all this, because once you start taking it too seriously and stressing over shit – social media or stream numbers – you lose track of why you started doing this in the first place, so just keep it as pure and childlike as possible.
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