Talking with a raw openness and honesty, Brisbane artist, Litters delves into the value behind Diamond Eyes and the source of his sound.
Coming from his stunningly glistening track Diamond Eyes, Litters chats with Happy about the lessons behind his creative ventures, and what we can expect from the indie-rock artist in the future.
Litters has no trouble throwing himself into his music, with a passion that bloomed from a young age and continues to appear in his songwriting and performance, despite patiently waiting this past year.
HAPPY: Hey Litters, thanks for your time! Describe where you are at the moment?
LITTERS: I am sitting in my bedroom surrounded by my plants that are all still alive and thriving.
HAPPY: “Litters“ – is there a story behind this moniker?
LITTERS: (laughs) not really, it was a nickname that was thrown about a bit and I decided to take it on as my stage name.
HAPPY: Congratulations on the release of your single Diamond Eyes! Can you tell us about the creative process?
LITTERS: Thank you so much. Well, when I originally wrote it I was listening to a lot of Lana Del Rey, particularly the Norman Fucking Rockwell! album. I wanted to write something that was more brutally honest, but still with a vibe that was.. hauntingly beautiful? And out of that came a single electric guitar with ambience and reverb aplenty, coupled with lyrics describing a one night stand; literally the closest two people could be, physically, but without connection or emotion. I loved the vibe but I got stuck. So I was fooling around one day and reduced the reverb, increased the tempo and found the melody to “I love everything you do” and the whole vibe, emotions and memories I had associated with the song, changed.
View this post on Instagram
HAPPY: A hugely romantic song, you’ve really put this woman on a pedestal! Was there any truth to this story?
LITTERS: Yeah absolutely. It was a long-distance thing. Relationships can be tough sometimes but when you’re contending with any kind of distance and lack of physical closeness it just adds to it. I can honestly say I was wholeheartedly in love, so when that ended the real work/growth began. It took a long time to understand and work through, but she was a gift, I wouldn’t be who I am today without that experience, and that’s how I try to approach any kind of relationship; if you’re not learning, you’re not growing and if you’re not growing, you’re stuck…
HAPPY: What has your journey to music been like?
LITTERS: My earliest memory is myself and my cousin trailing a microphone cord from my Auntie’s bedroom across the hall to the bathroom to sing Alanis Morissette at about the age of maybe 6 or 7? I think we were trying to capture the reverb, but doubt we were actually recording anything (laughs). But it wasn’t until I was in Year 9 that I picked up the guitar – I watched the girls swoon over one of my friends and thought to myself “I want that” (laughs). But very soon after I realised I really just liked playing and singing. It’s been the thing I go to do when I don’t feel so great and has turned out to be a great way to process things.
View this post on Instagram
HAPPY: Do you have your sites on any specific Brisbane venue?
LITTERS: I would love to play at The Tivoli! That place is just something else! But my number 1 is River Stage. I love the outdoors, nature and being close to water, you just can’t beat it.
HAPPY: Who would be your dream collaboration be with?
LITTERS: Internationally it’s gotta be a toss up between Banks or Florence Welch. They both write so poetically I would die. Lowkey crushing on Banks too. On home soil, I’d say Chet Faker/Nick Murphy – I love the guys vibe and I could learn so much from him I think.
HAPPY: What’s your go-to shower song?
LITTERS: (laughs), I don’t normally sing in the shower, but when I do it’s “I Don’t Want To Be” by Gavin Degraw or “Believe“ by Cher.
HAPPY: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
LITTERS: Right now it would be to ensure that organisers of events are able to be insured against lockdowns and Covid outbreaks. The music industry has taken a hit as it is, but if governing authorities have the power to shut an event down the day before its set to commence, there needs to be support available to those that have forked out money to start these events, or else they will just disappear.
HAPPY: What’s next for Litters?
LITTERS: My first show!! At The Outpost Bar in the Fortitude Music Hall on 30 April with Hazel Mei and This New Light! I’m pretty bloody excited as my last debut show was cancelled due to Covid. For the rest of the year I have my second EP on the way and honestly, I just want to play shows. It’s been a long time coming and I’m ready to share what’s been cooking!
HAPPY: Cheers Litters!
LITTERS: Thank you so much!!
Have a read of Happy’s song review for Diamond Eyes or check it out on Spotify.
