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
Hydra
Small Black Lyrics
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In "Hydra" by Small Black, the lyrics depict a sense of both self-confidence and frustration. The opening line, "Cool pride, creeps over me," suggests a feeling of cool confidence that the singer possesses. They acknowledge that despite the challenging nature of their current situation, they persist and "gut through this work." This phrase conveys a determination to overcome obstacles and keep pushing forward.
The reference to "lousy gods" and "the lives they strike" indicates a sense of disillusionment or disappointment with higher powers or external forces that have influenced the singer's life. They feel that their time has been wasted or misused when it was already limited. The frustration becomes apparent as the singer expresses a desire to escape and find solace in a distant place where they can hear a familiar voice singing to them. This longing emphasizes a longing for connection and escape from their current circumstances.
The mention of "straps on my arms" suggests a feeling of restriction or confinement. Despite this, the singer maintains indifference towards the lure of the sirens, which can be interpreted as metaphorical temptations or distractions. They acknowledge the destructiveness of these temptations but assert that they have discarded them without regret, signified by the phrase "I just threw it all away." These lyrics convey a sense of strength and resilience, with the singer firmly asserting their ability to rise above the allure of self-destructive choices.
The final line, "I don't hear where you are, I don't hear where you came from," suggests a disconnection or detachment from the past and its influences. It implies that the singer is focusing on the present and future, choosing to ignore any negative or distracting influences that may have shaped their journey thus far. This line further emphasizes the theme of self-reliance and a determination to move forward without getting caught up in regrets or past mistakes. Overall, the lyrics of "Hydra" delve into themes of inner strength, the pursuit of personal growth, and a defiant rejection of distractions and negativity.
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Joshua Hayden Kolenik, Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Frank Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind