Hailed by international taste-makers as one of Australia’s breakout acts of the year, Sydney-based outfit Little May are set to release their debut album ‘For The Company’ in October this year. We caught up with guitarist and vocal star, Liz Hammond and chatted everything global, her influences and where ketchup really belongs…
You have a really unique sound with a lot of variation. How do you define yourselves in terms of genre?
That’s an awesome compliment, thank you! I think it’s always hard to define your own sound. I guess one of the things about making your own music is that you want it to sound different from everything else. But there are definitely elements of folk, rock and pop elements in our music.
Who would you say your biggest influences are? Both musically and personally.
We all have so many different influences, and as we get a bit older I think they’re becoming more varied and obvious in our music, which is really cool. My taste always tends to lean towards guitar driven, alternative/progressive rock. When I was little I used to listen to bands like Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd and it would really affect me. I was always drawn to music that confused or scared me. This week I’ve been listening to Avril Lavigne’s album ‘Under My Skin’ and I am so into it. I never realised how awesome she was.
With the band being based in Australia, but travelling all over the globe- how do you feel about having so many fans all over the world?
It’s incredible! A lot of bands dream of having fans overseas, and a lot of people dream of travelling the world. We are so lucky we have fans that allow us to travel the world and play shows.
You were hailed by international taste-makers as one of Australia’s breakout acts of the year. Do you feel like musical ambassadors for your country?
In all honesty I wouldn’t say I’ve personally felt that too much. But I guess there is definitely a sense of intense pride and companionship that we feel when we are with other Australian bands that are doing similar things. Events like CMJ and The Great Escape always bring us together with the Aussie BBQ event that is put on by Sounds Australia. It’s amazing to be able to bond with all the Aussie bands that are travelling and touring and putting out music at the same time.
What are you most excited about for your upcoming tour this autumn?
I’m super excited about all of the shows. I know we are all really excited to get stuck into figuring out the live show and playing our first album for everyone.
Does anyone in the band have any really grim habits while you’re on the road? Be honest!
I’m not too sure about grim, but everyone has weird habits. Mark (our bass/keys player) likes carrots and carves them into weird object with his teeth, which makes everyone either uncomfortable or really amused. I actually think we’re pretty clean and tame. I’ll get back to you after this next tour.
What is the best thing you have ever heard from a fan?
A woman wrote to us a few years ago, showing a video that her teenage daughter had made for her dad who had sadly passed away. Our song Boardwalks was on the video, and she told us that it was now the song that they all played to remember him. I cried so much when I watched the video.
What direction will the band look at in the future?
Who knows. I think it will all depend on what we’re all listening to at the time, how we’re feeling on that particular day. Everything is constantly changing, but I know that we will always do what we feel comes naturally and what feels the most real for us all.
Does ketchup belong in the cupboard or the fridge?
Fridge. My mum would always keep everything in the fridge… Peanut butter, even Vegemite (I know that probably doesn’t mean much to anyone in the UK, but in Australia, that is weird)
And finally, who would win in a fight between Bigfoot and Dracula?
Bigfoot.
Check out Little May’s track ‘Home’ below…
Interview By Jack Shannon
