In the last few months, co-founding members of the Smiths — Johnny Marr and Morrissey, specifically — have cranked their simmering resentment up to a rolling boil of beef brew — and let's just say things just got even more heated over the weekend when Marr hit back at Moz's latest jab.
For the uninitiated, the two Smiths got into it in January after Marr threw some heavy shade at his former bandmate in an interview about his new solo record and recent collaborations. In praising the likes of Modest Mouse, Billie Eilish, Hans Zimmer and more, it didn't take long for Marr to remember another former collaborator, Moz, in a pretty poor light: "Everyone I've worked with has been great. The only thing that turned to shit was the Smiths."
Morrissey being Morrissey, he penned a scathing open letter in response, dunking on Marr — or, at least, he probably thought so — in long-form, accusing him of being "ever-ready as rent-a-quote whenever the press require an ugly slant on something [he] half-said," and jumping to deliver "cruel and savage" proclamations about him to garner attention.
Now, Marr is once again turning the tables, speaking with The Sunday Times about the ongoing feud: "When you're attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself," Marr said [via NME].
"The letter was designed to be insulting, wasn't it? That has to have been the idea. If it's something that's not based in fact, you have to react in kind, which is just with ridicule," he added.
Marr concluded: "Look, it was about [his wanting] attention… and I'm getting a lot of it. I've got my new record coming out, and that's getting attention too. All my solo records have. I just do what I do. I'll just carry on being who I am."
Previously, the guitarist had hinted that Morrissey's questionable and controversial opinions might have fed fuel to the fire of their volatile new online relationship. "We never fell out over politics, but we probably would now," Marr told The Observer in February. Thankfully, their falling out hasn't changed his feelings about the music they made together.
Shit-slinging aside, Moz doesn't seem short on collaborators these days either. Just a few weeks ago, he posted a picture of himself seemingly goofing around inside a studio with Miley Cyrus. Back in 2021, A$AP Rocky revealed that he had been working with Morrisey (and Rihanna) on a new record.
For the uninitiated, the two Smiths got into it in January after Marr threw some heavy shade at his former bandmate in an interview about his new solo record and recent collaborations. In praising the likes of Modest Mouse, Billie Eilish, Hans Zimmer and more, it didn't take long for Marr to remember another former collaborator, Moz, in a pretty poor light: "Everyone I've worked with has been great. The only thing that turned to shit was the Smiths."
Morrissey being Morrissey, he penned a scathing open letter in response, dunking on Marr — or, at least, he probably thought so — in long-form, accusing him of being "ever-ready as rent-a-quote whenever the press require an ugly slant on something [he] half-said," and jumping to deliver "cruel and savage" proclamations about him to garner attention.
Now, Marr is once again turning the tables, speaking with The Sunday Times about the ongoing feud: "When you're attacked out of the blue, particularly in public, you have to defend yourself," Marr said [via NME].
"The letter was designed to be insulting, wasn't it? That has to have been the idea. If it's something that's not based in fact, you have to react in kind, which is just with ridicule," he added.
Marr concluded: "Look, it was about [his wanting] attention… and I'm getting a lot of it. I've got my new record coming out, and that's getting attention too. All my solo records have. I just do what I do. I'll just carry on being who I am."
Previously, the guitarist had hinted that Morrissey's questionable and controversial opinions might have fed fuel to the fire of their volatile new online relationship. "We never fell out over politics, but we probably would now," Marr told The Observer in February. Thankfully, their falling out hasn't changed his feelings about the music they made together.
Shit-slinging aside, Moz doesn't seem short on collaborators these days either. Just a few weeks ago, he posted a picture of himself seemingly goofing around inside a studio with Miley Cyrus. Back in 2021, A$AP Rocky revealed that he had been working with Morrisey (and Rihanna) on a new record.