All these years later, throughout this big ole world, Smiths fans still adore them: though some perhaps a bit more than others. Some enough to spend their nights and weekends crooning like Morrissey and transporting their audiences back in time with a little vocal fairy dust. Covers caught up with seven of these bands. Three of them hail from the UK: Smithdom, The Smiffs and The Smiths Indeed whom i-D Magazine called “a brilliant tribute.” Then there’s the Italian tribute band, Still Smiths, The Handsome Devilz from Chicago, This Charming Band from San Francisco, and Chris Quinn who played Morrissey in Girlfriend in a Coma until 2008 and since 2009 has been doing so in Spineless Swine.

COVERS: What are your opening/closing song choices?

STILL SMITHS: The first song is normally "Girl Afraid" [because] it has an instrumental intro, so people [have] the time to understand that the concert is beginning. Last song is always “Stop Me”. That is also one of the last production[s] of The Smiths.

THE SMITHS INDEED: On our current tour we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of “Meat Is Murder” by performing the whole album followed by a generous selection of other Smiths classics.

THE SMIFFS: This changes depending on our mood but we always stick to what The Smiths were known to have played. “Hand in Glove” is a nice opener and… “There is a Light” to close.

COVERS: Is it "I am human and I need to be loved," or is it "I am human and I need to belong," because Morrissey confuses us?

THIS CHARMING BAND: That old geezer Moz can be confusing! The studio version is “I am human and need to be loved.”  Today, Moz changes up the words.

STILL SMITHS: Morrissey always jokes with these double senses of interpretation. It’s his typical feature to use some words that can be confused.

HANDSOME DEVILZ: Yeah Morrissey is great for confusing us.

SMITHDOM: Even if physical familiarity isn’t necessarily preferable, love is still an absolute. Although platonic is probably best.

QUINN: For the record, I don't like that song. I had to do it at gun-point in GIAC. Thankfully, the lads in SS see it for what it is.

COVERS: Do you perform in a theatrical Morrissey voice or in your own voices?

SMITHDOM: I perform in my own voice. I am actually from Manchester and am naturally rather arch and foppish anyway so it’s a serendipitous happenstance that I actually sound like Moz as a consequence.

THE SMIFFS: Definitely theatrical, obviously people have their own genetic voice print but it’s all about the drama. Personally I like to hear Moz like tones.

THIS CHARMING BAND: Since my natural singing voice is like/has been influenced by Morrissey, I will only have to add an English accent here and there or a bend/wail in other places.

QUINN: I have to affect Morrissey's voice but, it isn't hard. I simply open up my sinus cavity, the back of my head and it comes out.

COVERS: What are your day jobs?

THE SMITHS INDEED: This is our day job, but it's more like a vocation.

STILL SMITHS: We were looking for job[s] and then we [found] job[s], but heaven knows we are… miserable now.

THIS CHARMING BAND: In our band we have a Controller, Programmer, HR Manager and Zookeeper.

SMITHDOM: Mundane, Lifeless, Listless and Pointless.

COVERS: Would you rather: A.) "smash every tooth in her head"; B.) "bludgeon her in her bed"; or, C.) are you only joking when talking that way to your sweetness?

HANDSOME DEVILZ: The answer used to be B. But now it's C.

THE SMITHS INDEED: A 10% B 20% C 70%

THE SMIFFS: It’s got to be C. Any other answer read by my sweetness could end in A. and B. happening to me.

SMITHDOM: We are all celibate and can only speculate on what would drive us to assault fictitious partners. But if they were boring or didn’t like Edith Piaf then we could be pushed into a bit of light bludgeoning.

THIS CHARMING BAND: D. “stretch out and wait.”

QUINN: I'm happily married and happily I have virtually nothing in common with Morrissey. 

COVERS: You would go out but you don't have a stitch to wear?  What do you choose to throw on?

THE SMIFFS: We're all scruffs... hidden by rags.

STILL SMITHS: The very important thing is to go out, everywhere, we don’t care.

THE SMITHS INDEED: A black hooded cape and Avignon by Comme des Garçons.

SMITHDOM: Levi 501s, a nice cardigan and a brooch usually causes a sartorial brouhaha amongst the ruffians around town.

QUINN: I'm always impeccably dressed.

HANDSOME DEVILZ: I'm a t-shirt and jeans guy.

THIS CHARMING BAND: A fine fedora and a handful of flowers.

COVERS: Last night did you dream that somebody loved you?

THE SMITHS INDEED: Yes, but I didn't catch their number.

SMITHDOM: I dreamed once that my cat could speak and it told me it loved me.

QUINN: I don't dream anymore.

STILL SMITHS: Fortunately, it’s not a dream that somebody love us.