Alt-Pop Trio Smallpools Releases “Fake A Happy Face!” off New Album ‘Ghost Town Road (East)’ (out 4/5)
March 8, 2024 BY Emma Orland
Today, the magnetic alt-pop trio Smallpools share another taste of their forthcoming project Ghost Town Road (east), the first part in a two-part album release, with the fuzzed-out, sing-a-long track “Fake a Happy Face!” Together, Mike Kamerman, Sean Scanlon, and Beau Kruther poignantly unpack the difficulty of separating social media from real life. The catchy cathartic track encapsulates the band’s signature sound while delving into new emotional depths. Listen HERE.
“‘Fake a Happy Face!’ is about yearning to escape, to start over, lying in bed with the weight of the world upon you. There are so many mixed emotions that switch on a dime. Everything’s great and everything sucks. ‘Fake a Happy Face!’ and keep on cruising the best you can,” adds Smallpools.
“Fake a Happy Face!,” joins recent releases “Motorbike (Wild Ones)” and “Night Shift” which will appear on part one of the new album, the four-song Ghost Town Road (east), out April 5th. Arriving in two parts, Ghost Town Road was written and recorded at Mike Kamerman’s house in Los Angeles, with collaborations from colin creeV of Third Eye Blind and Mitchy Collins of lovelytheband. The new effort embodies duality – a reaffirmation of Smallpools’ anthemic, genre-blending alt-pop and also an elegy for a bygone era, understanding the allure of nostalgia while trying not to get stuck in the past.
Adding to the excitement, Smallpools are hitting the road next month for their Night Shift co-headline tour with Grayscale. Catch the new music for the first time live and purchasing tickets HERE.
Smallpools
Ghost Town Road (east)
April 5, 2024
Nettwerk Music Group
Ghost Town Road (east) Track List:
- Swayze
- Night Shift
- Fake A Happy Face
- Motor Bike (Wild Ones)
Smallpools Headline Tour Dates
w/ Grayscale
April 6 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
April 7 – Nashville, TN – The Basement East
April 9 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
April 11 – Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
April 12 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
April 13 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
April 14 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Stone Pony
April 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall
April 17 – Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
April 19 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
April 20 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line
April 21 – Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
April 23 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
April 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
April 26 – Bend, OR – Midtown Ballroom/Domino Room
April 27 – Portland, OR – Polari Hall
April 28 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
April 30 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
May 2 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
May 3 – Santa Ana, CA – Observatory
May 4 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
May 7 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas
May 8 – Austin, TX – Antone’s
About Smallpools
Smallpools called their shot with “Dreaming” – since their 2013 debut single, the trio’s experience has been nothing short of surreal. They’ve played festivals from Lollapalooza to Summerfest, earned RIAA gold and platinum plaques, held their own in arenas and late-night TV, and, along with their peers and collaborators like Grouplove, Walk the Moon, Twenty-One Pilots formed a sound that developed the alt-pop scene.
After 2021’s self-released Life in a Simulation felt like the only logical reaction the early COVID era, it’s only natural that Smallpools are searching for what’s truly authentic on Ghost Town Road. The majority of the record was written and recorded at Kamerman’s house in Los Angeles, with collaborations from colin creeV of Third Eye Blind and Mitchy Collins of lovelytheband. The results are rife with everything that fans have come to expect from Smallpools – arena-ready hooks, impeccable production, music that crosses genre barriers without ever losing its definition, suitable for parties or headphones contemplation, but never as background. Ghost Town Road announces a bold new era for Smallpools, so stay tuned for more information on the album by following the band on socials.
