Interview: Halifax’s Strange Plants Poke Fun at Phonies on Bouncy New Psych Pop Track, “Horseshoe Smile”

Strange Plants return with “Horseshoe Smile,” a bouncy psychedelic pop throwback that lives somewhere between Tears For Fears and The Beatles’ Revolver-era. Happy, trippy, and just the right amount of weird, the track playfully critiques curated digital personas and the exaggerated performances people put on to appear perfect. The song’s title refers to the exaggerated “horseshoe” shape of over-laughed upper teeth – a not-so-subtle jab at the fakeness we often witness in public and online personas.

Driven by a rad horn arrangement in the bridge, “Horseshoe Smile” leans fully into its retro-pop influences while distorting them through a funhouse mirror. The song came together quickly – unusually so for guitarist Matt Brannon who also serves as the track’s lead vocalist, unlike the previously released singles. He was experimenting with a slower finger picked acoustic riff before the whole vibe snapped into focus. The result? A feel-good jam with a sharp lyrical wink.

Produced by multi-instrumentalist Robbie Crowell (Sturgill Simpson, Deer Tick), “Horseshoe Smile” is featured on Strange Plants’ eponymous debut album, recorded at the iconic Creative Workshop Studio in Nashville and officially out on June 6th, 2025.