The Key Studio Sessions: Littler

The story of Littler is the story of circumventing expectations, of forging your own path. It’s the story of artists coming together for the first time and making something honest and awesome. The band got its start under the name Calamity Jane back in 2014 at the inaugural First Time’s The Charm festival at PhilaMOCA, and though it’s evolved, those origins are important to note. For those not familiar, FTTC encourages creative people marginalized in the music community to say the hell with it and play a show anyway – bands on the bill have feature either first-time-musicians, people new to their instrument, or musicians who identify as female, trans, queer and/or a person of color. The idea, as frontwoman Madeline Meyer put it on Facebook last year, is a firm reminder: “if you want to be in a band, you can be in a band!”

Along with their good friends Marge, who also got their start at FTTC, Littler went on to have a significant presence in the Philadelphia DIY scene over the past couple years. This came first through a lively Bandcamp collection of demo’d originals mixed with covers of Harvey Danger, and later through tracks recorded with their friend Kyle Gilbride of Wherever Audio (and Swearin’). When the first cuts from their debut Of Wandering began to surface, the national press began to take notice of their infectious, Superchunk-esque hooks, at outlets from Impose to The Fader.

The album came out on Birdtapes Records in March, and got a subsequent push when their La Criox setlter-themed video for “Slippery” came out later in the spring. (Not gonna lie, I horde this stuff in my fridge at home and the fact that the band shares my obsession made me like them even more.) This week, on the eve of their summer tour, LIttler stopped by WXPN Studios to play a Key Studio Session set — three songs from Of Wandering plus a brand new one making its recorded debut.

Meyer’s vocal harmonies and guitar interplay with bandmate Dan Colanduno totally shine in this set, and the rhythm section of Anne Burtner on drums and Ivy Gray-Klein drive the set onward, from the fierce opener “Phantom Limb” to the simmering meditation of “Oversteeped,” the new song you can watch a video of below.

The band kicks off tour tonight on the stacked lineup with Swanning, Mikey Erg and Worriers at Kung Fu Necktie; on the road, they’re joined by Marge, and both bands return on June 26th to play LAvA Space. Check out the full list of dates below, listen to the performance in its entirety, grab a free download at Soundcloud and get more information on tonight’s show at the XPN Concert Calendar.

[vuhaus category=”videos” item=”littler-oversteeped-key-studio-session” ][/vuhaus]

Tour Dates
6/16 Allentown – Consolidated Cardboard – with Handheld, GSGA, and Lithuania*
6/17 Pittsburgh – The Mr. Roboto Project – with Lawn Care and Rue
6/18 Cincinnati – The Comet – with Smut^
6/19 Chicago – Subterranean (17+) – with Blizzard Babies and Soft Ledges
6/20 Nashville – The Pussy Palace
6/21 Memphis – The Lamplighter Lounge^
6/22 New Orleans – The Circle Bar – with Dronebaby^
6/23 Atlanta – 529 (18+) – with My Son Gordeaux and Pretty Boy
6/24 Asheville – The Odditorium^
6/25 Richmond – Kung Fu Dungeon – with Atta Girl and Sports Bra
6/26 Philadelphia – LAVA Space – with Arm Candy, Bad Heaven, and Horse Girls