Smoking Popes is an American pop‑punk band formed in 1991 in the northwest suburbs of Chicago by brothers Josh Caterer, Matt Caterer, Eli Caterer and drummer Mike Felumlee. The group began as a punk trio called Speedstick, recording an early demo that seeded their first EP Inoculator released in late 1991 on Radius Records. Their breakthrough came with the 1993 self‑released EP The Smoking Popes Break Up, followed by the 1993 full‑length Get Fired, produced by Mass Giorgini and released on Johann's Face Records. Their second album, Born to Quit (1995), featured the track "Need You Around", which gained national attention after inclusion in the Clueless soundtrack; the single entered alternative radio charts and prompted a signing with Capitol Records, which re‑issued Born to Quit and promoted a tour with bands such as Gummy Dolls and Tripping Daisy. In 1997 the band released Destination Failure, while 2003 saw the release of the covers album The Party's Over under Capitol. After a 1998 breakup, the group reunited in 2005, released the live album At Metro (2005), and issued the studio album Stay Down (2008) on Curb Appeal Records. Subsequent releases include This Is Only a Test (2011) and Into the Agony (2018), with the band continuing to perform live through 2021.
