What’s new with the Fall Concert artists

Henry Bendon, Staff Reporter

It’s been about a month since Smallpools and MisterWives rocked the UPBeats Fall Concert.

While Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center has hosted only one or two major events since the concert, the bands that performed at the concert have been releasing new content.

Smallpools and MisterWives are on break after a full touring schedule, having completed a national tour together earlier in the year. The two groups have not worked together since performing on the night of the show.

Earlier in October, Smallpools released a music video for “Stumblin’ Home,” a relatively new song featuring The Aces. The video, which they had teased on their Instagram leading up to its release, is an entertaining mix of Choose Your Own Adventure and early 80s arcade video games, tracking the actions of a drunk man leaving a bar and, as the title of the song suggests, stumbling home.

The music video was not the only new content that Smallpools released. Last week, the band announced on Instagram the release date of their newest extended play record (EP), entitled “So Social.” Following this announcement, they released “Social,” the first single of the record.

“Social” starts slower than most Smallpools songs, with a series of sung “oh’s” and no backup from drums or keyboards. After about five seconds, the song abandons this vibe and slips into the recognizable Smallpools sound, relying on drum-driven electro-pop and bright guitars. The bridge introduces synthesized strings as the vocals switch from singing to talking for a sonic juxtaposition. The track ends by ramping the orchestral sounds back up and then wailing on guitars, and while it is not the sound of Smallpools most well known songs, “Social” feels true to the band’s identity.

MisterWives has been the quieter of the two groups. They headed down to Washington, D.C. as a surprise addition to the All Things Go Festival from Oct. 6 to Oct. 7. From there, the band made their way to Bowdoin College in Maine to bookend a week of celebrations for the opening of new facilities. Their next stop is also in a college town, as they will be appearing on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin.

The release date for the “So Social” EP is Dec. 2, at which time Smallpools will host a release party in Nashville. The first leg of their tour for the EP, which does not include Cleveland, has been announced for early March.