You may know Emily Littler as one third of Auckland heavy pop powerhouse Street Chant. It was the end of a Street Chant US tour that Emily found herself living at her mother’s house with a bunch of new musical gear that she didn’t know how to use that well. The result is the Emily Edrosa EP, a true DIY bedroom experimental project with 4-track loops, drones, finger picking guitar, confessions, Pro Tools and midnight kitchen forays for sandwiches.Released digitally and on 50 cassette tapes through Littler’s own Pasta Tapes label, the EP is simple drum machine, guitar and a moleskin of lyrics.We caught up with her to find out more about the EP.Noisey: A lot of the EP is based around the Internet? Do you spend much time in front of a computer?
Emily Littler: I used to spend more time on the Internet to the point where it actually sort of drove me crazy. It can be addicting, not just for the narcissism - but also for the general feeling of detachment. And the distraction so you don't have to actually think. I chose the internet to be the subject matter because I was suffering from writers block and didn't really feel like I had much else to write about at the time, and I thought it would be a good metaphor/starting point to write about these feelings I had that weren't about a particular subject.
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The album has a lonely feel in parts. Do you think the Internet is a lonely/solitary place?
I think its just like life, you can decide to be solitary or you can try and find communities. The Internet is probably easier than real life to find like-minded people actually. The EP was pretty lonely to make - most of the songs were written right after coming back from tour with Street Chant where the only way to be alone was to take longer in the bathroom. Suddenly I was alone in my Mum’s house in the suburbs writing and recording alone. Although I do most of Street Chant's songwriting, it is really different working in total solitude and not having anyone to even bounce ideas off or get excited with.Were you conscious of not being able to hide behind the fuzz and volume of Street Chant or was this a deliberate decision to write, play and record solo?
When I started it was more an exercise to try and get over writers block. Writing about a specific subject, using finger picking and an acoustic. I was at my mum’s house so I couldn't be too loud otherwise she would yell at me, which would ruin the takes. At the end of “Edrosy” you can hear my mum coming into my room to yell at me for playing tambourine too loud.It doesn’t sound like your typical singer/songwriter album. The weird production makes it more interesting than just pouring your heart out with an acoustic guitar.
Thanks! I knew I didn't want it to be like "Street Chant unplugged". Most of the sounds are from necessity rather than choice - drum machines because they're quiet and I am bad at drums, pitch shifted guitars because I didn't have a bass. I’m glad it sounds the way it does, though I think my mixing techniques could use a little work.One track on the EP is called “Jesuss” and your previous tape is called Body/Christ. Are these questioning faith/spirituality?
Its funny how time reveals yourself to you eh? When I was little my parents wanted me to get into a good school which also happened to be Christian. They knew the local priest would write a good reference if we started going to his church. They got me to go to this Sunday school course and get my communion and stuff, and in exchange they promised to buy me a Michael Jackson CD. So here I was a ten year old who had been bought up atheist, suddenly been told all this stuff about heaven and hell. Once I got into the school I never went back to church. It left a pretty big effect on me existentially to say the least. But in this instance, I just think they're good metaphors - Jesus representing the blinkers of social media and the Internet in general. The Body/Christ thing came from the two songs on that tape having those words in the titles.I really liked your cover of Arab Strap’s The Shy Retirer, an amazing song and Aidan Moffatt’s is an amazing lyricist. Were Arab Strap much of an inspiration on your solo stuff?
I would actually say that song has more effect on me lyrically than any other. I think I have probably spent my whole adult life trying to write a song perfecting drinking/social interactions that’s as perfect as this one. I am getting over it a bit now, but maybe that’s cause I realised I could just cover it and give up because I am never going to come even close.
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Emily Littler: I used to spend more time on the Internet to the point where it actually sort of drove me crazy. It can be addicting, not just for the narcissism - but also for the general feeling of detachment. And the distraction so you don't have to actually think. I chose the internet to be the subject matter because I was suffering from writers block and didn't really feel like I had much else to write about at the time, and I thought it would be a good metaphor/starting point to write about these feelings I had that weren't about a particular subject.
,
The album has a lonely feel in parts. Do you think the Internet is a lonely/solitary place?
I think its just like life, you can decide to be solitary or you can try and find communities. The Internet is probably easier than real life to find like-minded people actually. The EP was pretty lonely to make - most of the songs were written right after coming back from tour with Street Chant where the only way to be alone was to take longer in the bathroom. Suddenly I was alone in my Mum’s house in the suburbs writing and recording alone. Although I do most of Street Chant's songwriting, it is really different working in total solitude and not having anyone to even bounce ideas off or get excited with.
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When I started it was more an exercise to try and get over writers block. Writing about a specific subject, using finger picking and an acoustic. I was at my mum’s house so I couldn't be too loud otherwise she would yell at me, which would ruin the takes. At the end of “Edrosy” you can hear my mum coming into my room to yell at me for playing tambourine too loud.It doesn’t sound like your typical singer/songwriter album. The weird production makes it more interesting than just pouring your heart out with an acoustic guitar.
Thanks! I knew I didn't want it to be like "Street Chant unplugged". Most of the sounds are from necessity rather than choice - drum machines because they're quiet and I am bad at drums, pitch shifted guitars because I didn't have a bass. I’m glad it sounds the way it does, though I think my mixing techniques could use a little work.One track on the EP is called “Jesuss” and your previous tape is called Body/Christ. Are these questioning faith/spirituality?
Its funny how time reveals yourself to you eh? When I was little my parents wanted me to get into a good school which also happened to be Christian. They knew the local priest would write a good reference if we started going to his church. They got me to go to this Sunday school course and get my communion and stuff, and in exchange they promised to buy me a Michael Jackson CD. So here I was a ten year old who had been bought up atheist, suddenly been told all this stuff about heaven and hell. Once I got into the school I never went back to church. It left a pretty big effect on me existentially to say the least. But in this instance, I just think they're good metaphors - Jesus representing the blinkers of social media and the Internet in general. The Body/Christ thing came from the two songs on that tape having those words in the titles.I really liked your cover of Arab Strap’s The Shy Retirer, an amazing song and Aidan Moffatt’s is an amazing lyricist. Were Arab Strap much of an inspiration on your solo stuff?
I would actually say that song has more effect on me lyrically than any other. I think I have probably spent my whole adult life trying to write a song perfecting drinking/social interactions that’s as perfect as this one. I am getting over it a bit now, but maybe that’s cause I realised I could just cover it and give up because I am never going to come even close.
'Emily Edrosa' EP is available digitally from Bandcamp on October 17 and on cassette from October 22. Preorder available here.