Small Pond Announce Album "Soft Burn" Out October 21

Small Pond have announced their sophomore album Soft Burn, a full-length record produced by Alex Farrar and due out October 21, 2026. The Portland, Maine indie rock band released the lead single "Silver Coin" on August 19, and it is available now on all major streaming platforms.

"Silver Coin" arrives as the first look at the full album, which the band recorded at Drop of Sun Studios in two sessions: one in September and one the following February. The record is distributed through the band's own channels; no major label is listed in the release.

What "Silver Coin" Is About and Who Sings It

Vocalist Molly McDevitt wrote the song from a place of self-examination inside a relationship. "'Silver Coin' is about looking at a relationship from the outside almost like a third person perspective, watching yourself and not always liking what you see," she says. "It's about the disconnect that comes when you know you're not showing up the way you want to for the people who matter to you, and the discomfort of admitting that."

The band describes their writing process overall as freeform at first, what they call "word-vomiting whatever comes out," then refining it into a finished song. According to the band, the concept of Soft Burn revealed itself in hindsight rather than being planned in advance: "Looking back, we realized the songs kept circling the same tension, something soft pulled against something cold and hard."

Who Produced Soft Burn and What Alex Farrar Is Known For

Alex Farrar recorded and produced the album at Drop of Sun Studios. Farrar is the producer behind records from Wednesday, MJ Lenderman, Waxahatchee, Snail Mail, Indigo De Souza, Briston Maroney, and Mercury, among others. He has become one of the more sought-after producers in independent and indie rock circles over the past several years, largely through his work with the Merge Records and Secretly Canadian rosters.

Small Pond note that Farrar's approach shaped the final sound of the record in a direct way. "He let us find our own answers, gently steering when we needed it and keeping us from just copying our influences," the band writes. "Having a third party in the room made the hard, sometimes frustrating work of finishing a song so much easier."

The band drove 14 hours each way to the studio, twice, all in one member's car.

Soft Burn follows Small Pond's debut LP and pulls material from multiple time periods, including songs that originated during Molly McDevitt's solo EP. The band says the record spans a range of sounds, from pop-leaning production on tracks like "everything's quiet" to funkier arrangements on "darlene" and "holy," with heavier territory on the back half. No tracklist or album length has been shared publicly as of the announcement date.

Small Pond Tour Dates for Fall 2026

The band has six confirmed dates across New England and the Northeast, with more shows listed as coming soon on their website at smallpond.band., August 30, Leavitt Fest, Ogunquit, ME, September 19, Takedown Fest, Eliot, ME, October 8, Portland House of Music, Portland, ME, October 17, All Roads Festival, Belfast, ME, October 23, Cassette, New York, NY, October 28, Deep Cuts, Boston, MA

The New York date at Cassette and the Boston date at Deep Cuts fall two and seven days after the album release on October 21, making them the first proper album-cycle shows on the East Coast.

Photo credit for press images goes to Adam Gerhold. Press contact is Emily Ginsberg at Big Hassle Media in Los Angeles.

What Independent Artists Can Take From This Campaign

Small Pond are running a textbook independent album rollout: one lead single dropped the same day as the album announcement, a two-month window before the release date to build awareness, and tour dates that straddle the release so momentum carries into live rooms. The choice to work with Alex Farrar is also a practical one worth noting. Farrar's name carries real recognition among music press and playlist curators who cover that indie rock lane, and attaching a producer with that kind of portfolio to your project signals seriousness even before a single review runs.

If you are an independent artist preparing your own release campaign, check out our [submission page](/submit) to get your music in front of the Something Dope community, or head to [Pass the Aux](/pass-the-aux) to share what you are working on.

Soft Burn by Small Pond is out October 21. "Silver Coin" is streaming now.