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Electro-pop trio Little Daylight has been creating a big buzz with the songs they’ve released so far. They are set to turn even more heads with the release of their upcoming debut album Hello Memory, which will be released this Summer on Capitol Records.
GS recently caught up with the trio to discusstheir formation, the debut album, and future plans. Check out the interview and watch the video for “Overdose” below!
How did you meet and form Little Daylight?
Matt and I (Eric) have been friends and musical brothers since we were 15. We met Nikki a few years ago and all became friends. Around spring of 2012, Nikki and I had a few songs that we were working on together. We asked Matt if he wanted to get involved (he said yes!!!), and the three of us went upstate to a friend’s lake house for a few weeks to work on the songs, as well as a few remixes that we were doing for other bands. There were no expectations. It was just a little getaway from the city where we could be really creative and see what happened. It became apparent very quickly at the lake house that there was serious creative chemistry between the three of us. We knew that it was something that we needed to truly pursue. By the time we packed up our equipment a few weeks later to head back to Brooklyn, Little Daylight was a band.
Tell us about your debut album. Where did you draw inspiration from creatively and lyrically? Do you have a release date yet?
Our debut album is called Hello Memory and it will be out this summer. After putting out our EP Tunnel Vision last summer and spending a bunch of 2013 on the road, we settled back into Brooklyn for the summer and fall to write and record the album. We drew inspiration from the setting we were in, which was a beautiful carriage house that we rented in Brooklyn. We were hoping to capture some of that same energy and spirit that we had first encountered at the lake house, but we didn’t want to leave Brooklyn. We found exactly what we were looking for. It was a magical time working in the carriage house, and then over at a bigger recording studio called The End, in Greenpoint.
We work in an extremely collaborative way, so inspiration comes from many different places. The lyrics come from our own life experiences, as well as things that people close to us have experienced. Musically, we find inspiration from a lot of different sources. We all love electronic music… stuff like Burial, Jon Hopkins, Cashmere Cat. That music definitely inspires us from a production perspective. We love classic pop music, like Tom Petty, Paul Simon, Fleetwood Mac. And also the bands that we have gotten to know on tour… Charli XCX, Bastille, Haerts. We’re constantly inspired by the music (and life!) happening around us.
Your song “Siren Call” was released recently and is incredibly addicting. What is the story behind this song?
“Siren Call” was written after talking to a close friend of mine (Eric) and Matt’s. She was in this magical, new relationship with a guy that she had known for a long time. They were just friends for years, and then one day he knocked on her door, completely out-of-the-blue, and told her he wanted to be with her. A few weeks in to the new relationship, she talked to me about how it was too good to be true, that she was afraid that she would somehow fuck it up. She was trapped in the notion that just because all of her previous relationships had been imperfect and ended eventually, that this one was destined to as well. The song deals with that sentiment. Sometimes you have to forget about the past and just trust your heart. Sometimes the fantasy is real. (Also… happy to report that they’re still together and doing great!)
There are a lot of unique visuals and cool effects in your video for “Overdose.” Where did the concept for the video come from and how long did the video take to come together?
We found the director Campbell Hooper and his company Special Problems via his videos for Naked and Famous, which completely blew us away. Campbell had a vision for style, movement and imagery that all tied directly into the song, from a rhythmic perspective but also in terms of the structure of the song. When he showed us the treatment that he’d developed for an explosive, highly layered almost Renaissance fresco moment for the post-chorus section of the song, we knew we were all on the same page.
We had made another video for “Overdose” ourselves a few months earlier, so we were excited to take the video in a different direction this time around. We had never actually been in a video as a full band, and we wanted to do that, but we knew it had to be in a unique way. Every time we show up we could easily be one of the other cast members so there’s a uniformity to the characters. We end up standing out a touch because of our actions, our motion, and our integration with the thoroughly imaginative CGI shapes that Campbell designed and brought into the world. It’s ultimately an ensemble piece where no one character leads. Sometimes the way two hands touch becomes a character. There were all these experimental movements that Campbell had us do on set that became just as important as the actual people in the video.
We spent one long day in LA shooting the video, and then there were a few weeks of post-production that Campbell did back in New Zealand.
Take us through your decision/opportunity to sign with Capitol Records. How has the experience been so far?
We never planned specifically to sign with a major label, but after South by Southwest last year, we began taking meetings. Capitol was incredibly enthusiastic about the band, and really understand (and embraced) the fact that we were so hands on with so many parts of the process. Up to the point that we signed, we had been solely responsible for creating all of the visual content, making the music videos, and producing all of the music. Capitol believed fully in our vision and wanted us to keep doing things the way we had. They have supported us continuing to produce all of the music ourselves, to spend 6 months making our debut album, and they gave us the foundation to be able to do things on our terms. The experience has been amazing, and we truly feel that we have found the perfect home for the band.
What band/artists are you currently listening to?
Great Good Fine Ok, Raj, War on Drugs, Ghost Beach, St. Vincent.
At the end of April, you’ll have traveled across the country and played shows almost every night. What is a typical night like for Little Daylight after the show is over? Do you guys get some sleep, start the party, or somewhere in between?
It really depends on if we have a day off the next day. If we don’t, we usually hang at the venue with the other bands for a little bit and then head to the hotel to relax, watch a movie, and sleep. If we have the night off the next day, we love to go out in the cities that we’re in, meet people, check out other bands, drink some delicious drinks, eat late night food, and party. So… I guess the answer is “somewhere in between!”
It’s obviously a huge year for you: touring heavily, debut album coming out on Capitol, huge increase in exposure. Where do you hope to be at this time next year?
By this time next year, we hope to be touring all over the world, working on new Little Daylight music, playing with other bands that we love, and having fans who make LD’s music a real part of their lives. (Sleeping on a tour bus and not having to drive ourselves around on tour would also be nice!)
Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Where is the best place to stay updated with you online?
Thank you! Check Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and our website
Little Daylight – “Overdose”
