I have no idea what the child of Edgar Allen Poe and Dr. Frank N. Furter would look like, but I’m guessing it wouldn’t be as pretty as April Smith and the Great Picture Show sound. Luckily, Tim Curry and Poe are only two of the arrows in the April Smith’s quiver. Other influences include Wes Anderson, PJ Harvey, Tom Waits and Electric Light Orchestra.

As you might imagine, April Smith and the Great Picture Show are a bit hard to place. Sultry horns, dancing pianos and the sense that she wouldn’t be out of place in a 1940’s dance hall are just a few of the things that come to mind. Or they do for me – what do you think?

April Smith and the Great Picture Show – “Colors”

Luckily, we don’t have to rely on my questionable ability to name genres. April Smith was kind enough to give us her own thoughts on genre, sinking ships and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Read our interview with April after the jump.

In a Wes Anderson film, you are Margot Tenenbaum, Rosemary Cross or Jane Winslett-Richardson?

I think I’m actually more Etheline Tenenbaum, with a bit of Richie  Tenenbaum, and the occasional Max Fischer tendencies.

Have you ever been on a sinking ship and, if you were, would April Smith and The Great Picture Show stay and play?

I have never been on a sinking ship in the literal sense, but certainly in the figurative sense. I guess it would depend on what I had already lost … I wouldn’t leave my band behind. And I’d give my man or my dog my life vest and use my hollowbody as a flotation device.

Other than your debut album’s pending release (congrats!), what’s the most exciting thing we should expect in 2010?

Thanks! I think I’m actually going to make it across the pond this year, which I’m super excited about. I’ve never been to England and I can’t wait to go!

I could picture April Smith and The Great Picture Show playing in a saloon somewhere out west. What inspired you to play the music you play and how would you categorize it?

I’d say it’s retro pop with a bit of a swing. I’ve always loved big band music and popular music from the early 1900’s. I just wrote “Wow and Flutter” a few years ago and suddenly my style completely changed. It was unexpected and unintentional, but I’m glad it happened.

I’m also inspired by writers like Augusten Burroughs and filmamkers like Wes Anderson and Michel Gondry. I walk away from their films and I’m filled with ideas and inspiration.

Is that a kazoo I hear on “Colors?”

It’s actually mouth trumpet with distortion! But good ear!

Soap Box: Tell us anything – upcoming projects, people you’ve met, your thoughts on Fantastic Mr. Fox …

Stevens and I are working on an album for the RPM Challenge. We have to write and record an album in the month of February. We have a little side project called “The Naughty Children” and we’re just having fun with it.

I recently met John Waters at our show in Baltimore and he is even more magnificent in person than I imagined. Loved Fantastic Mr. Fox … LOVED IT! Jason Schwartzman has never let me down. The Jonathan Ames HBO series “Bored To Death” is just too good! Now I have to go listen to Coconut Records.

You can now pre-order April Smith’s debut album on her Web site and get three tracks (including a non-album cut) to download immediately.

Or, if you like free music, you can win Songs for a Sinking Ship here on The Round Table.

More April Smith and the Great Picture Show:
April Smith on MySpace
April Smith on Twitter