Q&A: Little Brain Makes Our Heads Bang With Latest Single “Together We Rise”
GET READY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANATOMY — ’cause that’s where Little Brain got his stage name from. An artistic concept that has been going on for 10 years, the artist began releasing music under the name Little Brain only in 2018, with the peculiar single “Seed Bearing Mammal.” Following this debut, 2023 saw the release of three tracks: “Into the Sun,” “New Normal,” and “Together We Rise.”
Little Brain looks to Thom Yorke from Radiohead for inspiration, and this wild experimentation between noisy electronic music and punk rock is his reason to continue making music into this year and beyond.
Read below to learn more about Little Brain as he talks about the origins of his musical career, which of his songs he connects with the most, and where he sees himself going this year.
LUNA: Who is Little Brain? How and when was this project born?
LITTLE BRAIN: The concept of Little Brain is at least 10 years old. It's changed in character and sound multiple times already. I got the name from a psychology lecture about “the brain’s brain,” in [around] 2011 and knew I would use the name for something. But Little Brain is just [common] English for “cerebellum,” the Latin word for the back/bottom region of the brain. It doesn't control movement necessarily but coordination and accuracy, as well as functions for speaking, attention span, eye movement… Tons of things depend on the cerebellum, but I like to picture the many things that make us most human. Playing drums, or music, writing, telling stories… Plus, it's a little self-deprecating, and I can't take anyone seriously if they aren't willing to make fun of themselves a little.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
LITTLE BRAIN: Let's just say you can tell I have ADHD. I'm all over the place, and I have every intention of leaning further into that for my next record. It’s all conceptual right now, but I think it's safe to say that I want to make all types of music with anyone who embodies the working class struggle in their art and lives.
LUNA: Who inspires your music? Who are your biggest influences?
LITTLE BRAIN: It depends on what aspect we're talking about. I get inspired by memes sometimes. But musically, I’d say Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, and System of a Down, but I also love modern electronic production. It just has a wider range of low end that doesn't exist in any other genres. It's a fine line, though. Producers like Tipper, Resonant Language, and Jade Cicada are some of my favorites, but a lot of electronic music with the build and drop formula feels a little tired sometimes. Context is everything, though.
My lyrics are mostly inspired by trying to recontextualize current events and turn them into agitative propaganda, if I'm being 100% honest. I know many like their art to steer clear of any politics and will probably claim that injecting mine into the EDM scene is off-putting, but dance music was created as revolutionary joy by Black and gay communities as a celebration of existence and resistance, and I just wanted to make something that was different in some ways but still true to the spirit of what instigated its creation. Plus, I don't know how to stop being political at this point. Being able to opt-out is inherently political.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
LITTLE BRAIN: It's a tie between “Together We Rise” and “Into the Sun.” I like them both for different reasons. "Together We Rise" was the first song that I completed out of the eight on this record, and it reinforced the idea that live drums with bass production and pop arrangement and vocals worked really, really well together. I like how it's angry but tame at the same time. Intense but surgical.
“Into the Sun” is one of my favorites because it's also very heavy and pop-oriented, but the time signature is 5/4. It almost goes unnoticed, and that's my favorite part about it. So people who like many genres could hear those two songs and find something in them.
LUNA: How did you develop your style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
LITTLE BRAIN: Honestly, I just rewrote the same songs over and over again until they felt right. And even then, I had a lot of help making it sound the way it does. I definitely plan on experimenting with other genres in the future. I'll still make music like Not If But When, too. But I don't think this record captures the true scope of what I am capable of, and I'm excited to find that out for myself.
LUNA: What inspired “Together We Rise,” and how did it come to life?
LITTLE BRAIN: The simple answer would be the year 2020 happened, but more specifically I was traumatized by the mass apathy we all experienced, both in terms of COVID, the police murdering George Floyd, and all the countless victims at the hands of police that all came to a head that summer. If the whole thing went up, I would have seen it with a smile and I wanted to make a song that captured that feeling. Complete and total rage over being forced to liberate oneself and also the joy that would come from achieving liberation simultaneously.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you balancing your day job with your music career?
LITTLE BRAIN: No, I don't think that's really possible anymore without rich parents or an already incredibly established fanbase. People are definitely still doing it, but it's very hard to push through the noise as an unknown musician right now. Even if I am able to make a living for a time doing music and art, I probably won't ever call it a “career.” It seems like it could change at any moment for anyone with the title.
But regardless of how many people consume my art, I'll still make it. I also think it's extremely toxic to lose your ability to eat and have shelter because your record does poorly. I'd like to avoid that, and if I can sustain myself within my means I'd be stoked. I'm three-quarters of the way through my electrician trainee certification, and I either want to join a union and possibly become a journeyman or design and make movie/stage sets. I'm everywhere all at once, I know. Whatever I end up doing, I want to stay creative and implement things in unconventional ways.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour?
LITTLE BRAIN: Yes! I went on tour in 2012. It's actually what introduced me to the Pacific Northwest. Mostly just smaller weekend warrior stuff, though.
If I could do a tour next week, it would be alternating between colleges and labor union halls. I’d love to raise strike funds instead of inflating some corporate venue’s bottom line. Travel by train. Film the whole thing. Somebody steal my idea! Take me with you!
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
LITTLE BRAIN: Thom Yorke. Hands down, easiest question. A super solid runner-up is Turnstile, though. Those dudes are so cool. Their fans lined up against the wall on stage. The tough pink vibes. I think we'd be able to burn a cop car together or rob a bank, or take over the world just to give it back to the people or something cool like that.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as an artist?
LITTLE BRAIN: In one year, I'll probably be heading home from the East Coast after doing interview-on-the-street type content while Biden loses the 2024 election and we begin the nose dive into the Fourth Reich. Other than that, I'll be writing the next record, finding new ways to be a little butthead to the status quo, and sort of just wait ’till it becomes illegal to be myself.
