Meet Sydney Pop Trio - Little May
Sydney band Little May are killing it at the moment. The release of their first full length album, ‘For The Company’, marks the beginning of some exciting times for the group. Produced by indie legend Aaron Dessner of The National, the album is a unique blend of lush indie-pop and folk-rock, equally as raw and powerful as it is dreamy and soft.
The girls launched the album with an art show that saw different local artists produce works based on one of the new tracks. This creative, collaborative spirit pervades the album, from the soaring harmonies to the album art by band member Annie Hamilton.
We caught up with Hannah Field to get some insider insight into what it’s like to be part of one of the most exciting bands on the Australian music scene right now.
The beginning of ‘Little May’...
The band first came together when Liz and I became friends at school when we were 16, and bonded over similar tastes in music. When we were 18 we wrote our first song and at 21 Annie, who Liz was mates with at a previous school, joined the band! Little May was formed!
We always wish we had a really great, intricate story about how the name Little May came about but Liz's Mumma actually suggested it when we were sitting around at her house trying to come up with options. It stuck!
On the new album, ‘For the Company’...
We recorded the album over 6 weeks so it was very quick in comparison to our EP, which took around 2 years to complete. Aaron Dessner was a dream to work with and made us feel so comfortable and at home in the studio. I think our album has a much more mature sound in comparison to the EP. It's quite meditative and solemn.
On their unique sound…
I don't think we ever set out to be unique. When we began writing, we always just went with wherever our creativity took us, and if we liked the end results we stuck with it. That might be why it’s hard to pigeonhole us into one genre - which I think is kind of cool!
On the writing process…
I wouldn't know how to write any other way than personally. That's why Liz and I write quite well together as we balance each other out a fair bit. Sometimes I can wear my heart on my sleeve, but Liz can say really meaningful things in a less obvious, more mysterious way.
On the Australian music scene…
I think musicians are really gutsy here in Australia. Over the last 12 months we have participated in showcases like CMJ and The Great Escape, and the same Aussie crew have always been there - Remi, Saskwatch, Bad Dreemz and Jesse Davidson, just to name a few. Everyone is just going for it, in such a fearless way. It’s exciting to see that people in different countries are taking notice.
On their unexpected music inspiration…
Liz definitely is into heavy rock like Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. I've been known to dabble in a bit of Taylor Swift every now and then! And Annie is a massive Simon and Garfunkel fan.
On how life has changed for Little May….
It has changed a crazy amount since we released the first EP. We’re now travelling the world, playing our music to people. It’s pretty overwhelming at times, but I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Little May are set for big things, with their new album getting big praise across the board. After they tour internationally, the girls will be back to play Falls Festival in December. In the meantime, you can grab their album ‘For the Company’ now!
Take a listen to their new single - Home.
