Just a few months after dropping their genre-blurring sophomore album Are You Smiling Yet?, Artikal Sound System is already gearing up for a deluxe edition—one packed with unexpected collaborations, hidden gems, and, in their words, “a ton of features.”
“We’re working on a really cool version of the album that has a ton of features,” drummer Adam Kampf casually mentioned during a backstage interview at the CaliVibes festival. Logan Rex, the band’s dynamic frontwoman, added with a grin, “Yeah, we’re actually doing a deluxe version of Are You Smiling Yet? I don’t actually know if we wanted to say that, so maybe we can edit that out—who knows.”
Whether it was a slip or a soft-launch, the reveal sent a jolt through an already energetic conversation. While the band remained tight-lipped on the full guest list, they teased at least one collaboration that’s guaranteed to catch fans off-guard.
“There’s one feature we have—I’m not going to say who it is—that is completely out there,” Rex said. “No one would ever expect it. So be on the lookout for that.”
For Artikal, community is everything. Their favorite collaborators aren’t necessarily marquee names—they’re longtime friends and tourmates like Little Stranger and Bumpin Uglies. “When features come together with your actual homies, it feels so fun,” Rex said. “Then you get to perform them on stage together and it’s really gratifying.”
The current incarnation of Are You Smiling Yet? already marks a stylistic leap for the band, balancing lighthearted hooks with deeper emotional tones. Songs like “Right Now” and “Oh No” have become live staples, with Montague tweaking the setlist on the fly based on crowd energy.
“I called an audible today—we played ‘Oh No,’ which is like our heaviest one,” Adam noted. “Sometimes it’s just about, like, let’s try things out and see how the crowd vibes.”
From major summer slots like Mammoth and Brighter Days in Reno to an unannounced Tropidelic tour—and another mystery tour still under wraps—Artikal Sound System are clearly in motion, both sonically and physically.
“We’ve gone through a couple different iterations—30-minute sets, 40-minute sets, hour sets—and especially with the new album, we want to play all the songs,” Kampf said. “So sometimes it’s hard to choose which ones.”
Their upcoming deluxe edition may not have a release date yet, but the direction is clear: this band isn’t just smiling—they’re thriving, evolving, and bringing their friends along for the ride.
Dad jokes aside, Artikal Sound System are building something that’s both personal and communal. And with Are You Smiling Yet? entering its second act, the real punchline might just be how far they take it.
Interview by Jenna Shaw. Video by Jeff Pliskin @RaisedFistPropaganda
