Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 • 54min
Little Simz [Performance & Interview Only]
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While the easiest way to categorize Little Simz is as an emcee, her resume goes far beyond just her impeccable flow. For Live on KEXP, Troy Nelson traces Little Simz’ history back to age 9 and dissects the various titles the UK artist has held including dancer, actor, and collaborator. Simz then chats with Gabriel Teodros about her faithful relationship with producer InFlo and working with the enigmatic collective Sault.
Recorded 08/26/2021.
Introvert
Woman
Venom
I Love You I Hate You
Rolling Stone
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Talking about
Speakers
(2)
Little Simz
Gabriel Teodros
Transcript
Verified
Gabriel Teodros
00:01
This is
KEXP
live at home. This is kind of fitting that I'm in my home this time too, because I think this is my last live at home session during this whole pandemic era, we're moving back to in studios. But I'm joined by one of my favorite emcees anywhere. She happens to be from North London
. Her name is Little Simz
. Thank you so much for joining us. Welcome. Thank you for having me.Share
Little Simz
00:28
It's a pleasure.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
00:30
Hi there, how are you doing today?
Share
Little Simz
00:33
Yeah, I'm good man. Just... it's a nice way just counting down the days, you know, getting through the days, albums about to be... about to be in the world.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
00:47
Yeah.
Share
Little Simz
00:48
Yeah, man, I feel good.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
00:51
Yeah. How long have you been working on this, this particular record right here?
Share
Little Simz
00:56
Since like last year? Yeah, I finished it, I finished it last year December. And then some, I guess like January until up until this point, it's just been like building out the visuals and what, you know, the aesthetic and the look of the album is so, it's been a little journey.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
01:18
Yeah, and you dropped six early in the year. Where were those new newer songs that came after the album? Or where does drop six coming to mix?
Share
Little Simz
01:29
No drops no drop six. Yeah, so we put out in May last year during Lockdown. But but I started working on my album in like February 2020.
Share
01:43
Then obviously lockdown happened. So I came back home and then that's when I done dropped six and and then kind of put that out and then and then went back to making the album. Got it. Okay. Somehow sometimes I still think of 2020 and 20, is one long year.
Share
01:60
But yeah, so let's get it. So let's get into this performance. You blessed us with three songs from the album. Do you wanna introduce, introduce the performance where you perform even stuff like that? Yeah. So we've done this in
London
.Share
02:19
Yeah, myself, my incredible band. And yeah, the songs we were performing for you guys as Introvert, I Love You, I Hate You, A woman.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
02:32
Let's get into it.
Little Simz
live on KEXP
at home.Share
Little Simz
02:37
KEXP
. Thank you so much for having me. My name is Little Simz
. I want to play some live songs for you today. I hope you enjoy. Let's go.Share
03:45
[Introvert -
Little Simz
]Share
06:50
This next song is called Woman of the new album and it goes like this.
Share
07:25
[Woman -
Little Simz
]Share
11:14
Thank you.
Share
11:22
We're gonna take It back to 2019. Grey Area. This one's a fiery one, still.
Share
13:51
[Grey Area -
Little Simz
]Share
14:09
This next one. It's off my new album. Sometimes it might be introvert. It's called, I love you, I hate you and it goes like this.
Share
18:13
Ah, this next song is called Rolling Stone and it goes like this.
Share
18:25
[Rolling Stone -
Little Simz
]Share
Gabriel Teodros
22:25
So great to see those songs live. Man, I have so many questions for you because it's, I've been, I've been following your music since Stillness in Wonderland and I know that that was, that was your second full length and you have been making music for some time before then.
Share
22:45
So this is our first time meeting. So uh you want to tell us like kind of how you got started? I know you started young.
Share
Little Simz
22:52
Yeah, I started super young. I was like, yeah, 9, 10, like just being super about performing arts, anything to do with the performing arts, whether that was dance or music or acting, I just naturally felt drawn towards.
Share
23:10
And so I actually started off like aancing first and that later transpired into music and I just kind of followed it through, I think when I was about 14 is when I realized, okay, this is what I wanna do and I just started taking it serious and then, yeah, until this point it's just been a, it's just been a craft.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
23:34
Yeah, do you do your own choreography because the choreography in your videos and even some of your performances that I've seen as ill.
Share
Little Simz
23:43
Thank you know, so the videos you would have seen for this album. I worked with a choreographer called Chloe Dean, but I've also known for like forever.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
23:54
Is she related to...
Share
Little Simz
23:59
Related? Oh yeah. No, no, no. Yeah, now they know each other of course. But yeah, I worked with Chloe and she was just like, came on board and yeah, and just kind of helped to elevate the visuals with her amazing choreography. So yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
24:21
Yeah, that's fire, that's fire. So you started, you said you started taking It seriously around 14? What were some of like your early influences? Like what were you listening to when you, you know, you said I want to do this?
Share
Little Simz
24:35
Yeah, I was definitely heavily into
Missy Elliott
. I just remember like, yeah, watching her visuals and just being like, she's so cool, like and the music's fire.Share
24:49
But I love how she's just being herself and I felt like I could see myself in her. I felt like what she was putting out was like, I don't know, it just felt like she was being true to herself and that really cut through and I remember that really resonated with me.
Share
25:06
It's definitely
Missy
. Then I started getting into Lauryn Hill
.Share
25:12
And then my brother was always a huge fan of
Nas
. So I remember like just riding around in the car with him listening to Nas
, I was young.Share
25:21
I didn't, I don't think I fully understood like the depths of what nose was saying because I was so young, but I knew that he's very intelligent and he's like, clearly so relatable, you know, my brother loves this guy and, yeah, there's something about his story that I guess and mirrors with a lot of young men around the world, you know, even though he's from
New York
and we lived in London
and yeah, there was a lot that he could relate to.Share
Gabriel Teodros
25:54
Yeah. Was there like growing up in
London
, family's from Nigeria
? Is is that right?Share
Little Simz
26:03
Yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
26:05
Yeah. Like did you, what was that like? Like not seeing or hearing a lot of like British MCs on that same platform or even
Nigerian
like musicians or were they or were there some that you were tuned into at the same time?Share
Little Simz
26:21
Yeah. No, I don't recall there being as many, like in the
UK
, but in the UK
, everyone like knows their heritage. So even if, you know, there's like a British MC that is coming up doing Graham, you might know he's from Ghana
or he's from Jamaica or he's from Nigeria
, you know what I'm saying?Share
26:42
So I think, I think that was always still there and that always cut through, but obviously right now the space we're in now of music is really like afrobeats is, you know, it's popping right now.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
26:55
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And it seems like there's so, so much like great hip hop coming out of the
UK
right now to for some years and like some incredible, incredible lyricist, you know, yourself obviously, you know, but at the time I learned about your music, I was also like getting hit to Dave
and like Stormzy
and I've been a fan of Ty
for a long time.Share
27:23
And you know, it's just like, it's so much, it's like, it's like a whole universe of really, like, incredible, honest hip hop music is being made out there and it seems like from the outside looking in, it seems like y'all have a platform inside of the UK that like the equivalent wouldn't beget, wouldn't get the same platform in
the United States
.Share
27:49
Like, what's that, what's that experience been like for you, like, as primarily as I understand your independent artists, what's it like for touring and for, you know, even releasing like music, like, do you get stopped on the street, is it like a household name kind of thing, or, or is it still like, you know?
Share
Little Simz
28:09
Yeah, it's definitely...
Share
Gabriel Teodros
28:11
I have no idea.
Share
Little Simz
28:13
Yes, definitely... it's definitely over the years it's been gradual by I can have been feeling the shift, you know what I'm saying in people knowing who I am and knowing my music or even just knowing me from like
Top Boy
or whatever it is, you know what I'm saying?Share
28:32
So it's been like, it's been steadily growing and then even with that people relating it back to you, she plays sellers on
Top Boy
where she does music, it's like of, of, I've seen, I've just seen it grow.Share
28:49
And it's dope like and it's kind of kind of transcended to all over the world. To be honest. When I was traveling, I've been traveling a long time, but like when I was like on tour, like in the
States
and around Europe
and Australia
and south America
or whatever it is, people are super familiar.Share
29:10
But I'd also like, you know, done the groundwork like from very early on, I was, I was doing my rounds South by southwest and you know what I'm saying. So I made sure like I was present in the
States
as much as possible.Share
29:28
And just kept popping up at shows and I think probably that's what helped the name grow.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
29:34
Yeah, definitely. And just consistent, like quality releases, like you've been prolific, you know, and, and it seems like every album is, has been a leap from the last one. You know what I mean? In terms of creativity growth, even personal growth. It seems like, you know, I have so many questions.
Share
29:58
Let's talk... let's talk about the new album. Sometimes I Might Be Introvert a title that I very much relate to. I just learned there's also an acronym of your name, which I think is really cool. Ah yeah, let's let's talk about it. I've only heard, you know the singles at the time that we're doing this interview.
Share
30:19
But one of the standout songs to me, I mean they're all standout songs but the one that really caught me where I was like wow she's going in is I Love You, I Hate You. Like that's a very personal song.
Share
30:33
What what was it like like doing this record and I guess like what what what are we about to hear? What are we about to experience on this record?
Share
30:44
Because it feels like all your work is personal, but this one feels like you're you're peeling back layers, you know?
Share
Little Simz
30:51
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly that you know what I'm saying, I think I don't know is... I don't think it's anything super. I don't know it might be surprising to other people, but to me it's like my reality, I'm living it, you know what I mean? So it's not to me, I'm just speaking my truth.
Share
31:10
But I think like this album is just giving me the opportunity to just connect more of my listeners and like I said like you said, even just peel back layers and let people know that Yeah cool you see me on stage or on the tv or whatever it is and sometimes you expect people like that to be extroverted and have this extroverted persona and be on all the time, you know what I mean?
Share
31:38
Actually I'm very chill person and like I'll just be chilling like it's not and I know how to turn it on, like obviously when I'm on stage, my confidence comes through all of those things, but I've never necessarily felt like I have to always be like the loudest person in the room or yeah, I've never I've never really felt like that and I think I've always known I'm an introvert from when I was young, but I just didn't know there was like a term for it, you know?
Share
32:11
So yeah, I just guess, I guess I just wanted to see a different side, you know?
Share
Gabriel Teodros
32:15
Yeah, I think a lot of people who are not artists don't understand how how so many of us are introverts and how it's just like a very natural thing like to have to even love spending time with yourself and and and getting energy from spending time with yourself is where so much music and art comes from, you know what I mean?
Share
32:40
Like it has nothing to do with performing on stage or you know, like when you have a purpose it's really easy to to get the job done, but it's like small talk can be like painful, you know what I mean? Like as an introvert artist, like I relate so much, you know? But yeah, I think some of the greatest emcees are probably all introverted, you know? It's a really natural thing.
Share
Little Simz
33:08
Yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
33:09
But I still I still like the affirmation? I like that. I like the title.
Share
33:14
You worked, you worked with, did you work with
Inflo
on the whole record?Share
Little Simz
33:18
Yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
33:20
Nice. Yeah. I'm a, I'm a big, I'm a big fan of
Inflo
and all of us here at KEXP
, we're a big fan of Sault
, you know, they won't do in studio, they won't do an interview.Share
33:32
But I respect that too. You know, like, like it's actually one of the things I really love about the group. It's like they make you want to look at the art and just judge the music for what it is without really playing the industry game. And it's just, it's something that, that I really connect to, you know, as well. You are one of the few features on Assault Released with the new one.
Share
33:59
Can you talk about your relationship with
Inflo
? Cause I know y'all go way back and, and even working with him on this album on their projects and...Share
Little Simz
34:08
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, not like
Inflo
like my brother, do you know what I'm saying? I've known him since I was knee-high, like he's really seen me grow up, you know?Share
34:19
So, we've always, he's always had like just this brotherly love for me. He's always like protected me. He's always, you know what I'm saying? Giving me advice and, and like almost being like a mentor, you know, just with his experiences and there's a story sharing and so like for me when it comes to making music, it is of course it's going to be with him.
Share
34:46
Do you know what I'm saying? Our chemistry is is unmatched and the songs I guess that you're here and now we, It sounds like stuff we was doing in '08, '09, you know what I'm saying? It's just like in terms of being super experimental and like experimental hip hop, you know what I mean?
Share
35:06
We've we've been doing that, it's just now we've got a budget to be like in a nice studio and you know what I'm saying? Whatever it is, but it's it's always been there like so and also I just like working with people that are not afraid to try new things and I think sometimes when you work with producers, they come to you for that one thing that you do and want to get that one thing, Do you know what I'm saying?
Share
35:38
But I think with
Inflo
, I have the freedom to try a whole bunch of different things and if it don't work, it don't work at school. Do you know what I mean? But I'm in a safe enough space in an environment to at least try kind of how we come up with all the crazy stuff we do.Share
35:58
And is like a family. Do you know what I'm saying? Is my family like from
Inflo
, to Cleo
to like Michael Kiwanuka
to Sault
, like it's all like very, very in house. And so obviously when I got the call to to jump on the Sault
record, it's like, yeah, I have that verse for you in 10, you know what I mean? Yeah.Share
Gabriel Teodros
36:20
Yeah, that's dope. And all those artists you just mentioned, right? Like
Sault
, Michael Kiwanuka
, Cleo
soul yourself.Share
36:27
It's like. I love, I love that collective. I'm low key obsessed with y'all.
Share
Little Simz
36:33
Ahaha
Share
Gabriel Teodros
36:37
One of many things that I love about, y'all is that everyone is you're just yourselves, right? So it seems funny saying this, but everyone is in their own lane almost like with even like styles of music, you know what I mean?
Share
36:51
There's no... but I don't feel like that's even control. It's not it's not in a contrived way at all. It's it's it's what you said, it's experimentation. It's it's finding what works. And it's just so dope to me because if you if you listen to, you know, these artists individually, you might not think that like, oh, this is like all one collective artist collective of artists that work together and build off of each other all the time.
Share
37:18
But you all are that experimental in that it's almost like fluid with with with genres like even just looking at your work by itself. Like it's hip hop music because you're an MC's MC, like you are you are a top tier lyricist, but musically you're dipping into soul into funk.
Share
37:40
Like there's rock elements, there's a reggae influence. You've got chronic some multiple songs, you know what I mean? Like it's it's so dope. Like where does that come from in terms of like the experimentation and not and not staying box instead of a sand?
Share
Little Simz
37:56
Yeah, I think, well maybe partly where I come from, I think
London
is such a huge male import.Share
38:05
And we've always, well, I've always been inspired by the sounds that happened over here, but also Overseas and then again, growing up in a
Nigerian
household, I was always exposed to music like psychedelic funk and Nigerian
funk and soul and you know what I mean?Share
38:27
And I think that's definitely, yeah, I was definitely a sponge just soaking that, just soaking it all up. But I think also it's just when you're super into music, you can just recognize good music for good music regardless of the genre or you know anything, you know, a good song when you hear a good song, you know what I mean?
Share
38:47
And so I've never tried to to limit myself into what I can create. I know my heart is with rap music and obviously my album is very much rooted in hip hop, but I enjoy being able to dip in different spaces in order to find new ways of expressing myself.
Share
39:10
Do you know what I'm saying? on my album we have like all these interludes and even with that, they sound like film schools and with that, you know, I've written these words, but they're not wraps though. Do you know what I mean? So I'm having to to use my pen in a different way to tell a Story as opposed to like a 16-bar verse or whatever it is, you know?
Share
39:31
So it's just cool to be able to try these things and to put it in the body of work and still have it, even though there's so many different styles, it all sounds very cohesive and concise, you know?
Share
Gabriel Teodros
39:43
Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. I was gonna say, I feel like you mentioned the film score thing, like with the way uh introvert, like some of the way the song opens up, it feels like almost like orchestral, like cinematic, Like we're about to go into an experience.
Share
40:04
And I was wondering like, how you approach the concept of an entire album fascinated by by how different people do this, because, you know, I've approached it different ways in my career as well. And it's uh yeah, how's it for you? Yeah, I think every albums somewhat the same, that's somewhat different.
Share
Little Simz
40:29
It depends on what space I'm in, but I think for this album, like I was in a good space, you know what I mean? I felt really creative and not to say like the process was was super easy and there wasn't one challenge in sight because there definitely was, but i it was just super like, down for the ride, you know what I'm saying? Which the album is.
Share
40:59
And so when we got in, I like to just... because it's like, I've released Grey Area and I've done dropped six or whatnot. Oh no, I haven't done Drop Six Out, went on tour, sorry. And so I've I've kind of, I've been on the road, like I've been living my life, you know what I'm saying? So I already, I'm already writing my album without knowing I'm writing my album.
Share
41:23
You know what I mean? I'm already having experiences and I'm living my life and I'm I'm just present. So the minute I go into the studio, I've already got so much to pull from, I just want to get it out, you know what I mean? Again, great thing about working with flows. There's this room for that.
Share
41:42
There's no, like, we're in the studio, we've got to get this album done right now. We need a radio smash and it's none of that. It's just get out your thoughts and feelings if you want to come to the studio and you don't even want to make music, but you just want to talk, we can also do that, you know what I mean?
Share
42:01
And that really? Yeah, it's cool and it's it's great for my creative process. It's just, I feel like time is time is on my side and I'm really taking the time to craft something, you know?
Share
42:15
But yeah, usually it's just me getting, getting stuff out and then we'll put little ideas down and whatnot. Some songs. I literally record a verse and then just park it and won't listen to it for like two months and then pull it up again and if I still feel something then I'll finish it.
Share
42:34
So it's not even, it's not a case. And in some songs we finish on the spot and we know that's definitely going on the album. I love you, I hate you. I was really that almost didn't make it.
Share
42:48
Yeah, yeah. And it's so crazy. Even when I think about my mindset and well was when I wrote that song to now doing an interview and hearing you say for example, that's one of my favorites or whatever it is. It's just like, man, I don't know, it's just very surreal to hear, you know?
Share
Gabriel Teodros
43:08
Yeah, I mean, I can remember the moment I heard it was like this beach just came in and wanted me, I wanted to break my neck, you know what I mean? And then I heard what you were talking about and I was like, whoa, this is like Wild Personal, you know? And dang I needed to hear this, I'm about to hear it again.
Share
43:24
Like I listened to it Like three times in a row. Like it was one of those for me, you know what I mean?
Share
Little Simz
43:29
Yeah thank you.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
43:30
Yeah, that's why that's wild to me. That almost didn't make it, you know?
Share
43:33
But I always say like, you know, you make music and it kind of grows legs and walks where it wants to and a lot of times it's not the song that you think that ends up connecting with people, you know? Yeah.
Share
Little Simz
43:45
It's true. Yeah. For real. Yeah how crazy.
Share
Speaker 3
43:50
Yeah, it's a trip. It's a trip.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
43:53
You mentioned acting. I wanted to ask about that because you've been uh the Rolling Top Boy, you've been acting since you were younger. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Is that, is that, is that another, is that another passion of yours? Like do you see yourself doing more of that?
Share
Little Simz
44:11
Yeah, for sure, definitely. I've always, I've always loved acting. I've always, I felt like I was good at it, you know what I mean? And felt like that's another way in which I can be creative somewhat.
Share
44:29
And I think what I, the link between acting and the music is just telling stories in which I'm a fan of, You know what I mean?
Share
44:37
I love a poem can easily be a song. A song is a, you know, a story, a story is a film, you know what I mean? It's all like, it's all linked and I think, that's what draws me to both of those things is just the start of being able to tell stories. Yeah, absolutely.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
44:59
I took an acting class when I was younger and as a, as a young musician, the acting class helped me as a storyteller and musician more than anything else. I've never stood on stage to do a play, you know what I mean? I recommended that acting class to so many young musicians just to like, really learn how to be a better performer, you know? So it makes it makes complete sense to me.
Share
45:26
I've heard in other interviews, you've talked about not wanting to just do music. I was wondering like, what, what are those other goals? Like what are the other things that you you want to grow into?
Share
Little Simz
45:41
I think like it would be called to also do some stuff behind the lens, you know, I'm very individual art and directing and I think it would be nice to eventually really devote myself for that and dive into that space in in due time. Do you know what I'm saying?
Share
46:01
I don't think that there's a rush to that at all, but I've definitely had a taste of it and as stressful as it is, I enjoy it and I think it's super rewarding and have fun and I I'm a very visual person, you know, so it makes sense that I would want to get more into that.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
46:24
Yeah, yeah. Did I see it? I was trying to find this video before we hopped on and I couldn't find it. Did I see a performance of you playing the piano and rapping at the same time. Am I imagining that?
Share
Little Simz
46:36
No, I don't think that's Yeah, you probably did.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
46:40
I did imagine that, but I saw you playing the guitar.
Share
Little Simz
46:44
Okay. I've done both. Yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
46:47
Okay. Okay. I was, I was gonna ask about that if you play other instruments and I don't, I don't know if you've produced your own beets or do you have a hand in your own production as well?
Share
Little Simz
47:00
Yeah. I can, I mean, I can suggest ideas.
Share
47:08
And sometimes like sometimes I will hop on the drums or, yeah, and flow will just be recording me and I won't even know I'm being recorded and I'm just doing whatever or whatever it is, you know, So I definitely enjoy, plane instruments for sure in the studio and on stage as well.
Share
47:30
It's, I like writing also to piano.
Share
47:36
Yeah, that's really dope. That's really dope.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
47:41
I know that you're... I know that you're a reader. I was, I was checking out another interview where you mentioned reading bell hooks all about love recently, which is a book I love as well. I was gonna ask...
Share
Little Simz
47:54
I love that.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
47:56
I love that, the whole series! I've read Salvation, Communion, Community. You're on Salvation right now?
Share
48:06
Yeah, yeah. That one goes in on the
Black Power
movement back in the day and the patriarchy Infinite Good reading. Yeah, I was gonna ask if there's other important books to you or, or things you would recommend or even books that influenced this album that they are about to release?Share
Little Simz
48:27
I like
Half Of A Yellow Sun
which is dope. I haven't finished reading it. I have like a lot of, I'm a start stopper to be very honest.Share
Gabriel Teodros
48:41
Yeah.
Share
48:41
Definitely.
Chimamanda
, is that her?Share
Little Simz
48:45
Yes, yes,
Nigerian
author. I think it was also a film.Share
Gabriel Teodros
48:53
It is, yeah.
Share
Little Simz
48:55
Yeah, it's a film, right? Yeah. But yeah, so it's a it's a really, really great read. And even just reading, How about how
Nigeria
was in like the 60s and that would have been like around the time my mom was growing up.Share
49:12
So I'm just kind of reading a book and then sometimes putting my mom in there like, oh, so I guess she would have maybe dressed like this or you know what I'm saying, even though I've seen pictures and whatnot, but it's just it's just like, it's kind of interesting to, to put together, but just a very beautiful story for sure.
Share
49:28
But I think between that and All About Love, probably the two reads.
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Gabriel Teodros
49:32
Yeah, that's amazing right there. Those are two incredible authors, you know? Yeah, I relate my mom... my mom is from
Ethiopia.
Share
Little Simz
49:41
OK.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
49:41
And there's the Ethiopian author named and I read her first novel and it was like the first time I read historical fiction set in
Ethiopia
.Share
49:52
And it just hit me in a completely different way than anything else. Because because of that personal family connection. So I feel like...
Share
Little Simz
49:60
Crazy.
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Gabriel Teodros
49:60
You know. Yeah. Yeah, that's dope. What's next for you? I know, I know the album's coming. We are there, are there plans to tour or what else is asante?
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Little Simz
50:14
Yeah. So yeah, album drop in and then definitely tour. We start in the
UK
in Europe
. And then I guess your side.Share
Gabriel Teodros
50:25
Come to Seattle.
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Little Simz
50:27
Yeah, it will be over there for sure. But I'm super excited for that. Even just performing these songs, you know what I'm saying? I think they will really go down well on the live stage and yeah, I think it's just gonna be super nice to see everyone's faces and just have a little groove.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
50:47
So what's the, what's the life set up, like when you're touring, is it a band? Is it a DJ?
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Little Simz
50:53
Yeah, so it's a band. Got keys, bass guitar, and drums, and my DJ. No, yeah, I think I personally think they're the best band in the world, but uh maybe I'm saying that because I'm just around them a lot and I've seen how talented they are.
Share
51:14
Just so talented and so in sync with each other and understand it's like there's a language between all five of them that no one else in this world knows apart from them and then you'll speak it fluently, you know what I mean? And it's just like when you, when you hear a beautiful language you don't know what's being said, but you can appreciate that, that's really beautiful, you know?
Share
51:44
So I just I just more time enjoyed just watching them jam and come up with new stuff and play place my songs but either stripped back or like in a different key register, whatever it is, this is really dope. So I think the live show is gonna be super fun.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
52:03
That's dope. How long have you, have you guys all performed together?
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Little Simz
52:08
So it first started with me and my deejay who had been rocking for like five or six years now and then I met my keys player who came on the road of us and then we had keys, drums, DJ, and then on this album it's like we've added bass and guitar. But yeah the boys have been rehearsing for like a year and just getting warm, so...
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Gabriel Teodros
52:36
That's like that's like
Bob Marley and the Wailers
type dedication, you know? They're like I was reading back in the day about them, they before they ever went on a tour, they would just jam and rehearse like every day for like a cold year before. They did their first show, like that's some dedication right there.Share
Little Simz
52:53
That's literally my boys, that it's cool.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
53:00
That's dope. What do you hope people get from the new album more than anything else?
Share
Little Simz
53:08
I just would like people to maybe take away that it's cool to just be unapologetically yourself. You know what I'm saying? And to, To understand that you're not linear, you're not one thing and you can try, there's many different things as you want. You know what I mean?
Share
53:29
You can try and fail. You can try and win. It doesn't matter. But the point is that you can try.
Share
53:35
And if, and if it feels good, then that's all that really matters, you know? So I guess like, I would just want people to take away that, explore and be free and, and share as much as you want to share.
Share
53:50
Well, don't share, you know what I mean? It's all cool. So yeah.
Share
Gabriel Teodros
53:56
Well said, I can't wait to hear the full length. It's been an honor and a pleasure getting the bill with you
Little Simz
right here, live on KEXP
at home.Share
Little Simz
54:06
Thank you guys, all the listeners as well. I know you guys have been supporting even
KEXP
like you've been supporting for a very long time. So it doesn't, it never goes unnoticed and I really appreciate it. Thank you.Share
54:24
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Little Simz