Little May

Forming mid-2012, Sydney-based indie-folk outfit Little May create sprawling yet intricate heart-warming harmonies. Featuring the story-telling talents of Hannah Field, Liz Drummond and Annie Hamilton, Little May is the tale of three friends whose love for music and songwriting brought them together after leaving school. They’ve just released their first single, ‘Boardwalks’, and will be released their debut self-titled EP in late 2013.

We had a chat with Annie Hamilton

Tell us a bit about the backstory of Little May. How did you girls meet and form the band?

Liz and I were good friends at high school, then she changed schools and met Hannah, who sings and writes a lot of music. We kept in touch after that but I never knew that she played guitar. Then a couple of years ago I found out that she was playing and we got together for a jam. She introduced me to Hannah, and we formed as a band a few months later.

My grandma doesn’t know what ‘indie folk’ means. How would you describe your music to her?

Lots of harmonies over layers of guitars, pianos, synths and percussion.

You recently unveiled ‘Boardwalks’, the superb first single from your upcoming self-titled EP. What kind of inspirations are behind this track, and is this a good indication of what we can expect from the EP?

We released ‘Boardwalks’ first because we thought it would be a good introduction to our sound. Liz wrote the song a couple of years ago; it’s about moving on from a long-term relationship and rediscovering a sense of independence. I think the track is definitely a good introduction to the EP, although the other 4 tracks are all quite different from each other. The end section of ‘Boardwalks’ is probably a better indication of what you can expect from the rest of the EP, with a lot more percussion, different instrumentation and a bit more momentum.

Let’s talk about the video. Skateboarding, skipping through fields, running along the beach – it looked like a bunch of fun. How was it shooting your first ever film clip?

We had so much fun filming the ‘Boardwalks’ clip. We went down the NSW coast to Mollymook for a weekend with Sean Dooley (director), and spent the whole time frolicking around fields and playing guitar in the sun. In saying that though, there were a few darker moments. At one point Liz stacked it and fell in the water fully clothed (it was freezing). She threw a bit of a tantrum (it didn’t help that Han and I were pissing ourselves laughing).

The track was mastered by King Willy, who was behind the production for ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’. What was he like to work with?

King Willy was great to work with. He’s such a pro and we got to play with his Grammy award. Our production team was amazing to work with as well. The track was recorded and mixed by Michael McGlynn and produced by Michael McGlynn and Sam Thomlinson at Vienna People Studios in Annandale.

Scenario: You can collaborate with either Justin Vernon or Marcus Mumford. For whatever reason in this scenario, you can’t say yes to both. Who do you pick?

Ooooohhh this is a tricky one. Are you sure I can’t say both? As the banjo player of the band I think I have to go with Mumford. I’ve been watching the ‘Hopeless Wanderer’ video all morning and it makes me giggle, so I reckon he’d be pretty fun to work with.

What’s your earliest memory of performing, and what inspired you to start?

When I was little I used to busk on the footpath outside my house, playing the Harry Potter theme song on clarinet. It was a pretty quiet suburban street so every now and then a neighbour would walk past and look at me strangely. I think I probably made about 70 cents all up, but in those days 70c would get me 14 ghost drops, so I wasn’t complaining. I guess Harry Potter can inspire strange things in people.

Confession time: what was the first gig you ever went to, and what was your first ever CD?

Hahaha this is probably even more embarrassing than the previous question. I saw Avril Lavigne at the entertainment centre when I was 12. I remember thinking that I was really, really cool. I also remember saving up several months worth of pocket money to buy Aqua’s album, Aquarium, when I was 6 years old.

What’s on heavy rotation on your iPod right now?

Big Scary, Alt J, Half Moon Run, Local Natives & Tim Fitz.

If you could curate your own festival, where would it be, who would be on the lineup, how many people would you let in and what features would it have?

After much consideration, I believe that a festival in a chocolate factory would be fun AND easy to organise. The food and attractions are already sorted and bands could play on the moving production line so no matter where you’re standing, you’ll get to see every band without having to move. Only short people would be allowed near the front (this is a very important issue for me as I’m so short that I can never see ANYTHING at gigs). As for the lineup, see above answer, then add in Aqua for old times’ sake.

You’re throwing a launch party for the single in Sydney at The Vanguard on Thursday 8th August, what can we expect from your live show?

We’re really excited about this gig because we’ll be playing with a full band for the first time ever! We have some very talented friends joining us on stage; Catriona Hunter (percussion), Lizzi Graham (Keys) and Mark Harding (Bass). We’ll be supported by Hein and Anabelle Kay, also amazing artists.

What’s up your sleeves for the rest of 2013, and can we expect to get our paws on that EP some time soon?

At the moment we’re getting ready to release our second single, which will be out early September. We’re working with Sean again for the video so we’re pretty excited about that! The rest of the EP will be released soon after the second single, and we’re also planning a late-2013 east coast tour.