It’s not a secret that we’re big fans of psych grunge crew Little Desert. Born in 2012 they’re Melbourne’s very own heavy, hard rockin, guts grabbing, pulsing, swirling, howling psych rock’n’roll masters, the likes of which this this city hasn’t seen in a long time.

Little Desert is comprised of members Roman Tucker (Rocket Science), Ash Wyatt (Red Red Krovvy/ Masses), Bonnie Mercer (Dead River/ Breathing Shrine), Ema Dunstan (Autoportraits), and is fronted by the wild Esther Rivers. The band have garnered a loyal and passionate following thanks to their powerful live show and ability to craft rock gems that transcend genres.

The five piece are now gearing up to release their debut full length effort Saeva via It Records, and to celebrate they’re given us a sneaky preview of the album which you can check out below.

To accompany the stream Esther Rivers and Ash Wyatt have penned a track by track which you can check out below. If you like what you’re hearing be sure to pre-order the record now and visit the band’s Facebook for more info on their upcoming album launch tour.

RUN

Ash Wyatt: “Run is totally the opening credits to a 70s horror movie. If there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that 70s horror sound tracks (think Goblin, Fabio Frizzi) fuckin’ rule.”

Esther Rivers: “I started writing this after a couple of Tram cops bailed me up against the wall and this guy just started screaming “RUN!” and so I ran out into oncoming traffic and got away. It was nuts. Simon (Grounds) put a megaphone effect on the mid-verse section and so the album version sounds like a creepy phone call from the 1960s. It’s great.”

CAPTIVE

AW: “This song has so many bits to it, build-ups and cult-y drumming ‘break downs’ and by the end it’s almost a different song. It goes for a more driving 80s feel.”

ER: “This track is kind of anxious and urgent, the band really captured that intensity. I was listening to a lot of Patti Smith at the time. I was also in a relationship with someone that was a bit obsessive, a bit mad. It’s about being unapologetic in the face of people’s expectations of you, of what they want you to be for them. It’s theatrically sarcastic. It’s a fuck you.”

SELF SABOTAGE

AW: “I really love Romans keys on this one, and the room for Esther to do her cool vocal tricky things. I guess it kinda has a Wendy Saddington/Chain sorta vibe?”

ER: “I also love Roman’s Farfisa on this track. This one is actually an old one, from early Little Desert days. It was one I remember writing the lyrics to in this huge old crack house I used to live in, in Carlton.

I used to smoke a lot and sit in the windows writing poetry and brooding on romance. It’s about self-abuse, boredom, partying, loving getting lost in that. Not knowing who you wake up with, not caring; Drinking too much, enjoying it too much. Pushing too hard. Bleeding on purpose. Bad habits that feel good. Self sabotage in the best kind of way. Self indulgence.”

SOOTHSAYER

AW: “‘Soothsayer’ has a folky feel to it, and I like the doubled-up guitar solo in the middle which kinda reminds me of Iron Maiden or something.”

ER: “This song is cryptic. It’s kind of my version of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Rhiannon’! It’s about a witch. It’s about being a witch. It’s a story and it’s not, it’s real life. I think I’ve told very few people about its true meaning.”

THE BEHEADING

ER: “This was actually a solo song that we thought would work really well with Little Desert, put a ballad amidst all that intensity! Simon and I did all the piano and cello together at his place for the recording.

When writing it I had the image of the scene from The Piano in my head, where Sam Neill’s character chops the protagonists finger off on the wooden block, and she walks a few steps and then she just falls down, her grey skirts billowing out around her.”

SHE’S ALIVE

AW: “One to bang your head to!”

ER: “I love when the bass comes in, Simon did a great job with this one. It’s about honesty, and treating people honestly. It’s about being honest with yourself, about trusting your gut. It’s about letting something live in you when it doesn’t need to, and the reasons we keep things alive for ourselves, when it might be hurting or damaging to new things, and you know, leaving people behind when they’re not treating you right.

I recall Adam from Gold Class mentioning something about his own lyrics, about the abusive nature of non-communication, and how little it’s been analyzed. I liked that. I think there’s something of that in this.”

SEND ME A POSTCARD

AW: “Well isn’t this a bit of fun. I love covers and I love performing covers. And playing in a band with super excellent musicians and of course Esther’s blazing vocals – how could we not cover The Shocking Blue?”

ER: “Mariska Veres. What a babe. We got a bit punk on her, sorry Mariska. We put a bit of vocal variation in the album version, rather than just belting the whole song, which is fun to do onstage. I love watching Ash play this song in rehearsal (she’s usually behind me looking at my butt onstage, poor thing), it’s a fun track.”

RESURRECTION

AW: “Another spooky number … I reckon ‘Resurrection’ sums up what Little Desert are about, and it’s my favourite!”

ER: “This song is really special to me. It’s a beautiful ghost story I guess you could say, a murder story. I feel great power when I sing this song. It’s about female power. It’s about rising up. It’s about love and hate and forgiveness and insanity. It’s about personal strength. It’s about being alone, about being killed, about being dead, about living forever. It’s about everything.”

SINNER

AW: “I think this track works as a kind of ‘release’ to close the album — and once again, showcasing Esther’s impressive vocals.”

ER: “Simon says this is our stadium rock song! Get your lighters out …

This was actually part of a poem I wrote (in that same Carlton crack house!), when I was up in the middle of the night with the world’s worst toothache. I was literally rocking in the dark trying not to scream, and I sort of wrote this letter to the devil, like the devil had control of my jaw and therefore my sanity. I think the original lyrics were ‘Sinner walk with me, walk with me, into a fools paradise.’ I eventually lost that tooth. It’s my greatest regret. Maybe I’ll write a song about that.”

Album Launch Shows

Saturday Nov 21st
The Tote | Melbourne
Teuton
Mollusc
Half Mongrel
& DJ Guns’n’Rosé
featuring projections by Keith Deverell
Buy tickets

Thursday Nov 26th 
Blackwire Records | Sydney
Ela Stiles
Whitney Houston’s Crypt.

Friday Nov 27th
Byron Music | Byron Bay

Saturday Nov 28th
Crowbar | Brisbane
OCCULTS
Last Chaos,
Pleasure Symbols
Death Church.