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
Smoke Around The Bend
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This place was for
Nobody could recall
In the distance
Watched the traces left of the crane
Their story was the same
Smoke around the bend
Fire in the east
Smoke around the bend
Drone assures me
I'm still here
Out on the breadcrumb trail
But leading out to where?
Found the clearing on the map
Strangely made to scale
Of the studio sky
Smoke around the bend
Fire in the east
What did I intend to see?
Smoke around the bend
Oh I'm bound to seek september
In the valley of the moon
In Small Black's song "Smoke Around the Bend," the lyrics reflect a sense of confusion and uncertainty. The singer seems to be in a place where they don't fully understand the purpose or significance. They ask others about it but nobody can provide any clear answers, leaving them feeling somewhat lost.
The mention of "traces left of the crane" suggests a construction site or a location where something significant may have taken place. The repetition of "their story was the same" hints at a lack of originality or uniqueness in the explanations given. It could symbolize a feeling of conformity or a sense that everyone is merely going through the motions without truly understanding the meaning behind it all.
The phrases "Smoke around the bend" and "Fire in the east" create a contrasting image. Smoke typically represents ambiguity or confusion, while fire could symbolize passion or destruction. This juxtaposition suggests a conflict between uncertainty and a desire for something more definite or meaningful.
The line "Places I pretend to reach" highlights a longing for something beyond the current situation. The singer yearns to explore new experiences or find a sense of purpose in the places they imagine reaching. The repetition of "Smoke around the bend" further emphasizes the elusive nature of these desired destinations.
The mention of a "breadcrumb trail" and a "clearing on the map" adds to the theme of searching or seeking. The singer is following a path, but it's uncertain where it leads and what they will ultimately find. The mention of the "studio sky" may refer to a manufactured or artificial environment, suggesting a contrast between reality and a fabricated perception.
The final lines, "Oh I'm bound to seek September, in the valley of the moon," evoke a nostalgic and romantic sentiment. September often symbolizes a time of change and transition, while the "valley of the moon" hints at a mystical or dream-like place. Together, they suggest a longing for something beautiful and transformative, a hope to escape the confusion and find clarity or purpose.
Overall, "Smoke Around the Bend" explores themes of uncertainty, longing, and the search for meaning. The lyrics depict a narrator who is surrounded by confusion and seeks something more significant and substantial in their journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Quietly, I asked them what
I inquired softly from the individuals present about
This place was for
The purpose or significance of this location
Nobody could recall
None of them could recollect or remember
In the distance
Far away, at a certain distance
Watched the traces left of the crane
Observed the marks or signs remaining from the crane
Their story was the same
The narrative they provided was identical
Smoke around the bend
Haze or smoke surrounding the curve or turn
Fire in the east
Flames or blaze located in the eastern direction
Places I pretend to reach
Locations I feigned or imagined reaching
Smoke around the bend
Haze or smoke surrounding the curve or turn
Drone assures me
An unmanned aerial vehicle gives me confidence or certainty
I'm still here
I remain in this place or state
Out on the breadcrumb trail
Along the path marked by breadcrumbs
But leading out to where?
However, indicating a destination or endpoint
Found the clearing on the map
Discovered the open space or area on the map
Strangely made to scale
Curiously constructed or portrayed to proportion
Of the studio sky
Relating to the simulated or artificial depiction of the sky
Smoke around the bend
Haze or smoke surrounding the curve or turn
Fire in the east
Flames or blaze located in the eastern direction
What did I intend to see?
What was my purpose or objective to witness?
Smoke around the bend
Haze or smoke surrounding the curve or turn
Oh I'm bound to seek september
Oh, I am compelled or destined to search for September
In the valley of the moon
Within the ravine or hollow of the moon
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
@biteandspit
like the best song ever.
@utkarshanand1740
most soothing sound .I love it very much
@Stardust483
Awesome.
@briannanorkett.7961
I love the beginning so much
@garethmcmahon9769
Yes its fab!
@Stardust483
It's a pity that 5000 people have heard of this song