Issue 105 / November 2019

LITTLE
GRACE
Callum Horridge introduces us to
the trio’s luscious pop stylings,
which are pulled together with a
collage-esque freedom.
“Music is like a
photo album for us”
If you had to describe your music in a sentence, what would
you say?
I guess we’d define it as DIY pop, there is certainly a strong
element of RnB in there though.
How did you get into music?
It was a pretty spontaneous decision. We all went to college to
enrol on courses that we weren’t ‘qualified enough’ to be on. We
all enjoyed playing music and decided that this sounded like a
good idea. I don’t think, at the age of 16, any of us were really
thinking about the future of this decision.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
My mum has always been into Motown/soul, but my dad played
me a cassette of him and his friend when I was younger. I had
this strange feeling, which you might say is ‘cringe’, but I think
something really resonated with me back then. I felt like it was
a definitive moment and I thought, ‘I could do this; I could be a
singer or a musician’.
Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform?
Perhaps Silence, our latest release. We’ve never actually
performed it at a show, but we have done a live video with some
amazing musicians, vocals and synths. We got our friend Tee
involved with that, which was an honour. He put a verse over it
and it’s just the heaviest.
Why is music important to you?
It’s a huge therapeutic measure. Some things we write in our
songs we could maybe never imagine saying them to the person
who it’s directed at, so being able to put that in a line and letting
it be said, that can heal a person. Also, there’s a documenting
side of it; we often reflect on songs that we’ve written and who
was involved in our lives at that moment in time. It’s like a photo
album for us.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in? If so, what
makes it special?
Churches. The live video I mentioned earlier, that was shot in the
Church of St Matthew and St James in Mossley Hill. The way the
sound travelled in the room was haunting. We also played in a
church in Leicester with Sofar Sounds. It hadn’t been used for 30
years prior and it had no heating, in the middle of February, so it
was a cold set. They passed around those foil safety blankets it
was that cold.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture
of all of these?
I’d be lying if I said we stick to one thing when writing, but we
do focus closely on mental health. If there’s something that we
can’t really voice in general conversation, it’s most likely in a tune
somewhere. We’ve also been known to lend from other artists,
such as Tracey Emin on our track My Bed.
Photography: Shea McChrystal
littlegrace.org
Silence is out now, as well as a new version featuring a verse by
Tee.
NIKKI & THE
WAVES
Drift away on the cloud-lined melodies of
this Amsterdam infused outfit who are
sweeping through the local scene.
“It wasn’t until I
moved to Liverpool
and met other
musicians that
something clicked
with regards to
music making”
If you had to describe your style in a sentence, what would you
say?
Breezy, dream-laced pop, surf and new wave elements.
Have you always wanted to create music?
Nikki: I started playing piano at age 12 but never practised very
seriously. I tried writing some songs in my room when I was
a moody teenager, but the grassroots scene in Amsterdam,
where I am originally from, is basically non-existent. It wasn’t
until I moved to Liverpool and met lots of other musicians that
something clicked in my head with regards to music making.
Can you pinpoint a live gig or a piece of music that initially
inspired you?
Tom W: When my dad played me Black Magic Woman by
Fleetwood Mac for the first time on tape as we were driving
through France looking for somewhere to pitch our tent. It made
me love Peter Green as a songwriter, and the early Fleetwood
Mac allowed Mick Fleetwood to definitely influence my drumming
style.
Do you have a favourite song or piece of music to perform?
N: I really love playing our new song Romance At The Sha-La-La.
It’s one of the few songs that I don’t play keys on, so I get to walk
around on stage a bit more. Our new single Welsh Mountains is
always really nice to play as well because it starts off so softly
but builds to something more cinematic.
Jake: About You because I dig the way it starts with a Crumbstyle
riff and then progresses to a heavy, Tame Impala-esque riff,
which shows off our versatility.
What do you think is the overriding influence on your
songwriting: other art, emotions, current affairs – or a mixture
of all of these?
N: My own emotions and memories as well as observations I
have of the people around me. I’m also inspired by other artists
and bands and films that portray a mood or atmosphere that I
tried to recreate through music.
Why is music important to you?
N: I guess music has and will always be a way for me to relate to my
emotions and feel less alone. It’s not just writing music that makes
me feel like I can express myself – even just listening to something I
really love, or that speaks to me at that time, can do that.
Tom S: It’s everything.
Do you have a favourite venue you’ve performed in?
N: I think we all agree that it’s probably the Palm House in Sefton
Park. We played there in March for Fiesta Bombarda. It was such
a surreal and beautiful setting to play in; glass, plants and palms
all around us. Totally different from the usual dark and moody
basements.
If you could support any artist in the future, who would it be?
N: We each have our own idols and dream artists that we would
love to support. As a band we would love to play with Whitney,
TOPS, No Vacation or Metronomy. Though I would be lying if
I didn’t mention Arctic Monkeys, even if we don’t fit that well
musically.
Photography: Carin Verbruggen
facebook.com/nikkiandthewaves
Welsh Mountains is out now.
SPOTLIGHT
27