Smoke or Fire

Smoke or Fire is an emo-tinged post-hardcore band that occasionally shades into rootsier material along the lines of Wilco or Marah. The band originally formed in Boston in 1998, when western Massachusetts natives Joe McMahan (lead vocals and guitar) and Jeremy Cochran (guitar) met New Hampshire boys Ken Gurley (bass) and Nick Maggiore (drums) as students at Boston University. Originally calling themselves Jericho, the quartet released their debut album, When the Battery Dies, in 2000. Bailing out of the cramped and wicked-expensive city of Boston upon graduation, the quartet ...