Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
Between Leos
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A competent heart
Come and live with me
Just out of reach
The tape would repeat
Asked to find the flame
Could barely glow
Between Leos
Between Leos
You won't
You just say the words
I'll hop into the car and go
Though we hardly spoke a word
Setting off alarms
Terrors of the afternoon
Made you feel the fool
Full of the old Adam
I expect the worst from you
Made you feel I disapproved
Between Leos
On your own
Between Leos
You won't
You just say the word
I'll get into the car and go
Come meet me halfway
Come meet me halfway
Half the way is easy
The lyrics to Small Black's song "Between Leos" depict a relationship that is characterized by distance and lack of communication. The opening lines, "Two in the dark, a competent heart, come and live with me, just out of reach," suggest a connection between two individuals who are physically close but emotionally distant. The reference to being "in the dark" conveys a sense of uncertainty or confusion within the relationship, while the phrase "just out of reach" implies a longing for deeper connection that remains unfulfilled.
The line "The tape would repeat, asked to find the flame, could barely glow" hints at a repetitive cycle within the relationship, where the two individuals are constantly seeking a spark or passion that seems elusive. They are unable to ignite the flame that could potentially bring them closer together.
As the song progresses, it becomes apparent that there is a lack of communication between the two parties. The lyrics "You won't, you just say the words, I'll hop into the car and go, though we hardly spoke a word" indicate that actions are taking place without any meaningful dialogue. It seems that there is a disconnect between what is being said and what is actually felt or understood between them.
The mention of "terrors of the afternoon" and feeling like a "fool" suggests a sense of insecurity and vulnerability within the relationship. There is a perception of disapproval from one person towards the other, leading to a breakdown in trust and understanding.
Overall, "Between Leos" explores the theme of distance, lack of communication, and the longing for genuine connection within a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Two in the dark
Two people in a state of confusion or uncertainty
A competent heart
A heart that is capable and skilled
Come and live with me
Invite someone to share a life together
Just out of reach
Something that is close but unattainable
The tape would repeat
A repetitive and unchanging situation
Asked to find the flame
Requested to discover passion or excitement
Could barely glow
Could only emit a faint or weak light
Between Leos
In the space or dynamic between two individuals with the zodiac sign Leo
On your own
Being alone or independent
Between Leos
In the space or dynamic between two individuals with the zodiac sign Leo
You won't
You will not do something or take action
You just say the words
You only need to express your desires or instructions verbally
I'll hop into the car and go
I will quickly and enthusiastically join you and embark on a journey
Though we hardly spoke a word
Even though we barely communicated verbally
Setting off alarms
Causing concern or worry
Terrors of the afternoon
Fears or unsettling experiences during the afternoon
Made you feel the fool
Caused you to feel foolish or embarrassed
Full of the old Adam
Possessing the inherent human nature or tendencies
I expect the worst from you
I anticipate negative outcomes or actions from you
Made you feel I disapproved
Caused you to perceive disapproval from me
Come meet me halfway
Suggesting a compromise or mutual effort in a relationship
Half the way is easy
Taking the middle ground requires less effort or sacrifice
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Jeffrey Urso Curtin, Joshua Hayden Kolenik, Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Frank Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amen_actually
Lyrics -
two in the dark
a competent heart
come and live with me
Just out of reach
the tape would repeat
Asked to find the flame,
could barely glow
Between Leos
on your own
Between Leos
you won't
You just say the words
I'll hop into the car and go
though we hardly spoke a word
setting off alarms
terrors of the afternoon
made you feel the fool
full of the old Adam
I expect the worst from you
made you feel I disapproved
Between Leos
on your own
Between Leos
you won't
you just say the word
I'll get into the car and go
come meet me halfway
come meet me halfway
half the way is easy
Maximum respect to Small Black and the fellas at Musixmatch :)
@jackievicious8819
Esta canción me acompañó en momentos complicados de mi vida hace unos años, gracias por hacer música tan increíble
@Thagy1973
The ending of this song makes the hairs on my arm stand straight up and I get goose bumps!! I looove this band!!!
@unsound7777
Likewise
I get teary
@maciejragankiewicz7769
Yep,i have this some😉
@boogiman6622
The most underrated band I've ever seen smh! They are 10/10 and one of the FEW bands I've seen with no filler songs at all
@slowdownbecomebe3179
Agree, very underrated
@euphory
This track is so beautiful and the video is wonderfully creative and special. Thank you!
@pyrezime
This makes me so excited! My favorite song from this album and I get to see them on live on Sunday!!
@mehu112
This is a really good vibe song. Deserves at least 1 million views!
@thachillest1
I'm just so in love with this band.