Revisit simpler times with small pockets’ “heads or tales”

Youth is fun. It’s years of curiosity, of ignorance, and of happiness. But, we all have to grow up someday, and those moments we spent carefreely will come to an end. Only our memories of them will remain, and sooner or later we have to accept that we finally need to face life’s obstacles head-on.

Created by Atlanta artist Joey Kirby, aka small pockets, “heads or tales” is described as a dream-state full of fond memories from our youth. Remember those times you played with your friends on the grass, the idea of scraping your knee being the worst thing that could happen? We can’t deny that we miss those moments, and yet we surrender to the fact that remembering is the only thing we can do.

This state is reflected by the lyrics and overall vibe of the song, which has heavy bedroom pop influences with psychedelic undertones in the instrumental that accompanies it. Its title deviates from the normal term of “heads or tails,” instead having the latter choice as “tales,” a metaphor on how the song reflects on our life stories. Kirby also explicitly states that the title signifies “hope for rest, reset, and good times ahead.”

The track was produced and recorded right in the artist’s home of Atlanta, by Daniel Gleason and TJ Elias of Big Trouble Recording. What really completes the song though, is its fever dream of a music video, animated by Lee and Eliška Oz of AnimationOZ, based in the Czech Republic. Although being comprised mostly of 2D elements, the song is brought to life by expertly directed claymations, of which its characters are made out of.

All of these brought together turns “heads or tales” from just another bedroom pop song to something more: a story of going through life the hard way, caught between the problems of your loved ones and yourself, with the past being left as a flickering memory.

Watch the music video for “heads or tales” by small pockets below.

Hans Abila

Hans is an engineering student with a growing dismay for math. As ironic as that sounds, he’s always looking for a break from digesting numbers and symbols by indulging in things he likes instead: music, writing, and video games. This guy is also the type to hog the microphone on karaoke night, so be careful when you’re inviting him for some singing over drinks.