Issue 104 / October 2019

SPOTLIGHT
“Music is
a pleasant
distraction from
life: a form of
escapism”
ENNIO THE LITTLE BROTHER
This North Wales artist has caught the ear of Merseyside label
Mai 68 with his idiosyncratic, soulful dream hop.
Have you always wanted to create music?
Yes… then no… then yes again. I had a brief stint of wanting to
be a priest, so I spent many days at the living room table offering
my family the body of Christ in the form of Discos crisps. When
I was about nine or 10, though, I performed Everlong by the Foo
Fighters at a school assembly on an out of tune Yamaha EG112
guitar and haven’t looked back since. Classic.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
John Frusciante performing Usually Just a T-Shirt #3 on the Red
Hot Chili Peppers’ Off The Map DVD. That performance hit me
like a frying pan to the face. I was floored that the guitarist in
one of the biggest bands on the planet had this other side (no
pun intended) to him that was so vulnerable, raw, honest and
beautiful.
Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform?
Not particularly, I enjoy the flow of an overall set, like how the
slower pieces contrast the big thumpy joints, and vice-versa. It’s
ace when your energy on that given day affects the tone of a
song and evokes different feelings than you initially intended with
the words. Having said that, Dungarees is fun to play ’cos there’s
a dead fast rappy bit at the end.
If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you
say?
I would say my music encapsulates sitting on the couch in comfy
PJ bottoms eating homemade apple crumble and custard while
wondering why you threw that baggy Fila hoodie away three
years ago. But that never pops up as an option on the drop down
menu when you’re applying for festivals.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions,
current affairs – or a mixture of all of these?
Food.
If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be?
Loyle Carner.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what
makes it special?
St. Mary’s Creative Space in Chester was a special experience.
Performing to a seated audience in an atmosphere where you
could hear a pin drop was incredibly haunting and beautiful. Hold
on, what am I talking about? I played a gig on a boat once. That
was rad.
Why is music important to you?
Sometimes I feel like music is a pleasant distraction from life and
stuff: a form of escapism. But I think it might actually be the other
way around. What does that even mean? I don’t know… damn
you, Bido Lito!, for sneaking in a serious question and making my
brain do the equivalent of 25 push-ups.
Image: Ross Davidson
@enniothelittlebrother
Ennio The Little Brother features on a split EP with Campfire
Social, out now via Mai 68 Records.
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