Hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, small poppies released a single in August of last year titled Exit, and it’s undoubtedly made its way into my heart. Although it’s been a while since its initial release, it fully deserves to be talked about and enjoyed NOW to make up for lost time (at least the time lost on my end).
To quote the artist’s submission, Exit is a beautifully written 5-minute song about “…moving to a new city, and the feeling of missing my loved ones and not belonging in a new place.” When you listen to this track, you can feel that come through in the sullen vocals and the guitar riffs that effortlessly tug on your heart with each passing moment.
As someone who was born and raised in Florida and desperately wants to leave, I can’t relate TOO much to the feeling of moving away from family and friends. However, I CAN relate in the way that all of my loved ones have since moved away from ME. My parents and close family are hundreds of miles away from me, and being an only child, I identify with that loneliness in a very tangible way.
There’s an identity crisis that reveals itself when there’s no longer an anchor of the family to hold onto, and working through that can be like digging through a mine, searching for pieces of your true self with every swing. You start to build your “new” self by unearthing who you actually are when no one is looking. In my opinion, it’s a more authentic version of you by default.
The instrumentals in Exit feature elements of shoegaze and lo-fi, making this an introspective track, perfect for overthinkers. It’s streaming on all platforms, and I highly recommend it for those who need a moment to take a breather; accompanied by a gorgeous song. Show small poppies some love on socials if you dig their sound.
Written by Newt Fangs
