HANNAH FIELD OF LITTLE MAY

Hi Hannah and thanks for taking the time out to speak with us at Musicology. Firstly, congratulations on the latest single Lover. Every tune tells its own tale, what is Lover saying to the world?

Thank you so much. If Lover is saying anything to the world, I think it is saying that it is ok to choose yourself. Don’t minimise your self-respect or self-worth for someone else’s inability to look after themselves.

Your debut album For The Company was recorded in NYC with Aaron Dessner of The National fame. In regards to the new material you have been working on, were there some strong recording and production lessons learned from your time with Aaron that found their way into how you approached your latest work?

I think we will always carry the lessons we learnt from Aaron with us for the rest of our lives, but the obvious one that he taught me was that writing doesn’t have to be this painful drawn out process all of the time. There were times during the creation of “For The Company” where we had to finish a song on a really tight deadline. I recall sitting next to him whilst he played piano and we just really calmly figured out this song together and within 20 minutes it was done. That approach and the memory of that energy has stayed with me. There are a couple of songs on our upcoming album that were written like that. Just Liz and I being in a really good space and within a really short period of time having a finished product. It has a lot to do with being present and not relying on the mind. The don’t over think it approach.

Are there times during your song writing that you already have some music semi fleshed out but what it is missing is the scenario (situation/instance/subject matter/love/tragedy) to occur for it to then meld perfectly with music?

Definitely. Sometimes sitting with a piece of music can be nice. Coming back to it, re writing etc going deeper into the subject matter. Other times you can sit with something for too long, which has happened to us on a few instances, and a song can get pretty stale or you just completely lose perspective on it. It’s a fine line.

The last time Musicology caught up with Little May was back in 2014 when you performed with Big Scary on the back of their Not Art tour. Having meet and performed with so any different musicians and artists over the years, during that time, has there been any defining moments or words of wisdom that were spoken to you which really resonated with you and in turn altered the way you approach your craft?

Not necessarily spoken words from memory, but just being around them has helped me grow as a writer and musician. We are surrounded by such a beautiful community of people who really know their shit and are incredibly encouraging and supportive or one another. Watching them write and create and perform is all you need to want to step it up and keep growing.

You have started some extensive touring. Not just alongside The Rubens and your own headline tour but also the fabulous Falls Festival. Do you have a universal approach to touring considering the three different types of tour style or treat a festival slot the same you would a standalone show?

Hmmm festivals always used to seem so daunting when we were starting out, almost used to feel like I’d have to save my best performance for that stage you know? But for me now I feel like I will approach them with all the same intensity. It’s important to always go up there with the intention of leaving it all on the stage and giving the audience everything. You want to leave that lasting impression and give them that connection they are looking for. Whether it be a support slot or a headline festival slot (maybe one day fingers crossed) you don’t treat them differently. Everyone deserves to see you at your best.

Spending so much time on the road, do you find touring to be inspirational with experiences on the road making their way into your lyrics and new songs or are you so busy focusing on the task at hand that writing / jamming takes a back seat?

I think subconsciously those experiences are always going to creep in somewhere. A lot of the time on the road I have found that I have only had the capacity to focus on the task at hand but hopefully that has changed now that I’m not so green. The idea of writing on the road in so romantic to me.

Having performed countless times and also with so many amazing artists, can you share with us a particularly memorable gig and what made it so special?

Playing Gentleman Of The Road in New Jersey still stands for me as the most memorable show we’ve ever played. The Mumford guys invited us up on stage to harmonise on their cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Atlantic City. Being on stage with them, Wayne Coyne, Jenny Lewis and The Maccabees was very surreal. Also, the mic I was singing into apparently was very loud out front and it probably seemed I was trying to sing louder than Marcus but I swear I wasn’t. Liz grabbed on to my top halfway through the slowly started pulling me away from the microphone. It was very funny.