Jakki and the Pink Smudge’s Y2K Influences Are Broad and Unmistakable

6–10: Jakki and the Pink Smudge

Sounds like: A porcelain songbird in a softboi mosh pit.

“A lot of my stuff tends to lean more toward the singer-songwriter morose vibe,” says Jakki Wise of Jakki and the Pink Smudge. “The themes are usually very self-reflective, but I like to describe our sound as a mix between No Doubt and Radiohead—there’s that playfulness, but also something complex and gut-wrenching. It’s raw in a way that’s really satisfying.”

Named for the way Wise’s lipstick tends to smudge across her face during her energetic live performances, the Pink Smudge’s Y2K influences are both broad and unmistakable, meaningfully filtered through Wise’s distinct pop-punk lens. Still, there’s more to the Pink Smudge than just Wise’s spongy soprano and fuzzy guitar riffs—drummer Charlie Oakes and bassist Oliver Lester bring depth and muscle to the sound, giving the band its full, fleshy form.

“We were able to achieve a much beefier sound on our new album, Niacinamide [out May 25 with a release show at Mission Theater on June 13],” Wise says proudly. “I always want there to be an homage to the foundation Smudge was built on—Bandcamp, SoundCloud, the punk scene, live music, my early looper setups where I’d run drum tracks live. Now, I’ve brought together not just my favorite musicians I’ve played with, but my favorite people. It’s shifted us from a solo project with a backing band to a full-on ensemble.”

“I definitely want our music to re-create that feeling I had when I was, like, 13—scared, but totally in love with the live music scene,” she adds. “I want people to feel welcomed. Genre is always changing, so I think it’s nice to just cut the shit and go with what feels real.”