Emphatic duo Little Stranger performed this past weekend at Governors Ball here in New York City. Dubbed the hip hop Simon and Garfunkel, the duo (Kevin Shields and John Shields) brought their folk hip hop amalgamation to the festival. Although I didn’t make it out to this year’s festival but there were a lot of up and coming new artists and bands that cropped up.
I talked to John Shields, one half of the duo, post Gov Ball.
Your ecstatic song “God At A Festival” is fitting with Gov Ball this past weekend. Where did you get the inspiration for it?
That song happened pretty organically in a studio session with our buds Andy Frasco and Ross Bogan (Doom Flamingo/Wolfmask). We were looking to make something upbeat, and Andy through out the idea of a gospel type feeling. Once we had the chords and beat going it all fell in place over the course of a couple hours, and we got our best bud Damn Skippy to lay in the third verse. Feels nice to have a positive, upbeat song out for the summertime.
What type of production goes into a festival like Gov Ball?
We’ve been doing a bunch of fly-in dates this year, mostly for festivals. So, for us, it’s making sure we have everything we need before we get on that flight haha. We’re excited to have added a few pieces to the band this year, so we will be performing with a horn section and a couple backup singers. They rule, and have quickly become family. We’ve got a short-ish set so planning on bringing the energy the whole time!
How do you plan on hyping up the festival audiences?
Hopefully Kevin will take his shirt off first and foremost. That’s always guaranteed to make him uncomfortable and make me very happy. We’ve got an awesome lineup of musicians playing with us, and we’re planning on kicking off the day with a high energy set to get things rolling!
Your music fits the indie and hip hop scene to a tee. Was that the plan from the get go?
I’m not sure it was a plan so much as it just happened to be the music that Kevin and I not only enjoyed listening to, but what we enjoyed making together. I had recently gotten deeper into production, and with Kevin’s knowledge and abilities as a rapper, we pretty quickly fell into a sound we both were inspired by. It makes this lifestyle way cooler when we’re constantly inspired by one another!
What was on your rider for a festival like this?
We keep it pretty simple! Light beers, a bottle of Jameson and a veggie tray. And obviously a ferry ride around the Statue of Liberty and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building and a shoot around on the court at Madison Square Garden. But that’s about it!
Festivals vs. clubs. Which do you like more and why?
That’s tough! Each has its own magic. I think I’ve always been partial to club shows. I like a dark room that’s packed out. I like playing at night. But having been given the opportunities we’ve gotten to play these amazing festivals over the last year, it’s hard to not be in favor of that! I only wish we could have the sunshine and the air conditioning at the same time haha.
What can we expect from your new album—Sat Around Trippin?
We’re pumped about the collection of tunes on this record! It’s kinda all over the place sonically, which seems to keep in line with everything we’ve put out leading up to this. We have a few features on the album – Wax, Jarv, G. Love, Andy Frasco, and Damn Skippy. They have all become the homies over the last few years, so to be able to not only share creativity between Kevin and I, but then to bring in these artists who we not only look up to, but also call friends, is a very special feeling.
