Small Black Shares New Track 'Driftwood Fire'
The single, and album, pays tribute to Kolenik’s uncle, a passionate surfer whose attic in Long Island.
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Mar. 24, 2021
NYC's Chillwave pioneers Small Black have shared another glimpse into their upcoming album Cheap Dreams today with their track "Driftwood Fire." "'Driftwood Fire' is a song told from two perspectives..." says singer Josh Kolenik. "One surfer looking out at the water and another looking back at the shore. The verse offers a conversation between a master and his apprentice in the water, while the chorus marks the cold realization by the novice that they'll have to put these lessons into practice all by themselves going forward. We wanted to contrast the classic dance elements of the track with the natural world of the lyrics - letting the synthetic interlocking arpeggios & vocoder harmonies interact with the image of a fire on the beach at night. The song lives in the same Rockaway world as 'The Bridge', navigating the swell with the big city looming in the distance."
The single, and album, pays tribute to Kolenik's uncle, a passionate surfer whose attic in Long Island was used for making their first album. Shortly after the release of their 2015 album, he passed from a stroke while at the beach and a good chunk of the record is about his life and how it reflects on the band's choice to try to live out theirs as musicians.
Cheap Dreams is Small Black's first new album in five years and is described as a "Long Island gothic surf epic." Cheap Dreams will be released on April 9th, 2021 via their new label, the vaporwave upstart 100% Electronica.
Pre-order for Cheap Dreams is available now HERE and you can also snag a limited edition Red Rain® Vinyl via 100% Electronica HERE.
Earlier this month, Small Black shared their gorgeous video for "The Bridge" which premiered via NYLON who said "'The Bridge' is a chillwave ode to New York's magical Rockaway beach... It's a contemplative and transportive track at its core - if you close your eyes, it's almost like you can feel the ocean breeze on your face."
Listen here:
Photo Credit: Caroline Mathis
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