Little Dragon Reflect on New Album, Slugs of Love
MM: You released your previous album “New Me, Same Us” just when the pandemic hit the planet – please describe how you felt about not being able to tour the record...
Erik: Now we're about to play again to promote this new album, and some of the songs from the previous album feel I guess, at least in my world or in our world, it feels like they're old classics, but nobody has really heard them being played live, I assume [chuckles]. But yeah, we kind of like you said, we, we had that kind of energy and we were excited and then it ended abruptly and somehow we tried to, I suppose, use the energy to make another album. But it was all a bit confusing and, and exciting and, you know, all of it, like life is [laughs].
MM: What was your initial idea for the soundscape of your new album “Slugs of Love”?
Erik: I think all of us are very curious and searching for sounds. We're not locked in on any specific genre per se, you know, sometimes we like it. Maybe the main theme would be that it would be played live or sometimes it would be all dead and exciting in that way, like it's programmed and kind of harsh. But other than that, it wasn't many visional concepts that were said verbally.
MM: If you were so open with the soundscape, what was your working methods for this record?
Erik: Well, I guess the theme was to say yes, to try to... if somebody was enthusiastic about something, we would, zhat would be the main vision: Let's be excited. I feel like we've been doing... we've been in this creative process so many times and it's been different every time. But for sure it can consume a lot of energy. So the theme of saying yes is for sure a very fuel wise way to [chuckles] to keep the motivation in the process, keep the enthusiasm and have that be sort of the leading star. So if somebody came with something, you know, genre specific, I remember you said, Fred, for example, like abit of Jungle drums on the first track, and I was, Oh yeah, let's try it, you know? And then, uh - I don't even know if you said Jungle or if you just said like a fast beat or, you know. But I mean, of course we are, I think we're all like that being very open to, to music throughout our lives. So we have quite a wide library of sounds to take from.
MM: How would you describe the result of your work, meaning your new album “Slugs of Love”?
Fredrik: I just remember we had these, we tried to kind of define the different moods of the album. And instead of like using genres, we separated them into three parts, like the dance part, romance and then trance, more like the psychedelic part, I guess. With all of all of these could kind of overlap and intertwine. That felt kind of also opened up a lot of possibilities and doors because if you all agree on what to have, you know and what... it's good to have some limits or like define some stuff or at least for yourself in the process.
MM: What music have you been listening to in the making of this record, what inspired and influences you, did you talk about some references where you wanted to go?
Erik: There is so much beautiful music being as we speak, uploaded to the Spotify, for example [...]. But lately I've been into, uh, I don't know if it's like uhm if it's really connected to the album, but I sometimes listen to JJ Cale. He has a couple of albums with like a little simple synth drum machine and then it's just guitar. And in a way, it's some type of country cowboy-ish, but it's so extremely simplistic with that drum machine sound that it's very meditative. And yeah, that is something that I rest my mind on sometimes.
Fredrik: Yeah... yeah, I'm trying to think back on like before to the time when we made the album because it was last year. Uhm, I know there was a little bit of talk of like its from the 90s and a little bit of that New Wave inspiration, a little bit of Devo perhaps, but also this old Disco and maybe even a bit more, a bit of jazz in there."
Erik: "Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that was the whole dance, trance, romance thing! It was kind of: Anything you like goes [chuckles].
MM: How has your relationship with each other and how you work as a band changed within the years since you first started out 1996?
Erik: I mean, it's like every relationship has its challenges and its beautiful parts. So I mean, yeah, this theme of saying yes to each other was maybe a contrary to other times where we've been, you know, where our egos have been sort of either consciously or subconsciously fighting against each other, sometimes maybe killing the joy, in other ways we created something quite spectacular, you know, out of the friction. But yeah, I think in that way, I think it's a life celebration to just say, Okay, well, we are alive at least. [laughs] So let's let's say yes and then because in the I guess previously sometimes we would find ourselves in in sort of a grind, you know, that we will Uhhhh make music, our tour, back in and out of the studio and it sounds like a dream, but it also it can tear you out and wear you out. Yeah, if you don't, every now and then, you know, break a bit and reflect or tell each other how you feel about this little project of ours that you said it's been going on for quite some time.
MM: You had been working with Damon Albarn already for his Gorillaz' record “Plastic Beach” – how did you gain him for your own album?
Fredrik: We worked with him, with the Gorillaz, as you said. And then we were on tour with him, playing support for two months or something and also hanging out and guesting on tracks. And then we met him, you know, on different festivals and on different places around the world. And it felt like a natural thing, to have him come on our album and bring his vibe.
MM: What does the album title “Slugs of Love” mean?
Fredrik: It could be an image of the human kind of wanting, you know, wanting love, but not really working for it. Kind of you sit there and want to pick or like scroll or it's like all these qualities you're looking for. So it's kind of like, it could be a lazy way, I mean, because we are kind of drawn to the easiest way sometimes and the lazy way, which can be nice [laughs]. Uh, I guess that's one way of looking at it, yeah.
Erik: The other way, of course, is the images we saw from slugs making love in a very sluggish way, but kind of a slow, a slow process that is... it's a bit slimy, but also the way they intertwined and turned into almost like an underwater flower or what you would call it, very something from the fantasy world. I mean, we're very into that as well. I guess somehow we are drawn to that otherworldly experience when you don't really know what's going on or where it's a bit abstract and, you know, and mind blowing and that sort of. I think, music for all of us, I hope I speak for everyone, but I think music has had that impact on us, that it has been a portal to another spiritual side of another world. Internal traveling type of thing. So. Yeah, we're into that [laughs].
*Interview by Marc Muehlenbrock