Spotlight Sounds; Episode Five with Little Kings

Welcome back to Spotlight Sounds, a series by Secrets Behind the Sound celebrating the vibrant world of Irish music. Dive into the blend of tradition and innovation that characterises Ireland's contemporary music scene, featuring both established and emerging artists. Explore the influences and experiences shaping Irish musicians and join us as we delve into their creative processes, stories, and journeys. Through in-depth discussions, Secrets Behind The Sound recognises the groundbreaking contributions of Irish artists to global creativity. Whether you're a long-time fan or a newcomer, Spotlight Sounds invites you to explore the captivating realm of Irish music—a journey into the stories, sounds, and enigmas that make up Ireland's music scene.

Up next on Spotlight Sounds, we have Little Kings! Starting out in 2019, Ryan Harling, haling from Hong Kong, has been making music in Derry under the banner Little Kings. However, early last year he was joined by Aoife Mullan and Leah Bell, creating the three-piece puzzle that now makes up Little Kings. Their unique alt-folk music, coming from three different genre backgrounds, draws inspiration from artists like Bon Iver, The National, and Leonard Cohen. Their newest EP, Vignettes, 2020-'22, is due to be released on October 7.

Can you start by introducing the band and your musical background?

My name's Ryan Harling and I've been making music in Derry under the banner of Little Kings snce 2019! Since early last year however, it's been incredible to have been joined by Aoife Mullan and Leah Bell, and to have been performing and recording as a three-piece since then. We're a bit of everything, I grew up in Hong Kong playing folk, Aoife in Dungiven with traditional Irish music, and Leah in Cookstown with classical.

How would you define the genre you as a band primarily identify with, and how do you incorporate other influences into your sound?

Alt-folk is the genre we associate with most comfortably for the moment - it’s a fairly all-encompassing banner that covers the stuff we’ve been writing. A lot of song structures (or American primitive guitar compositions) that don’t follow the general rules of verse, chorus, bridge, etc, but which revolve around lyrics and instrumentation (violin, cello, guitar, vocals and harmonies) usually associated with folk.

That said, a lot of our arrangements for originals and covers come from scored sheet music, giving it a bit of a classical flair at times (think George Martin’s contributions to some The Beatles’ tracks). We’re all music graduates, so have a love for a bit of everything really, and think that also influences our sound.

How do you see the current state of the Irish music scene? Are there any emerging trends or unique characteristics that stand out to you?

Similar to how the Irish language in cinema was brought to the fore this year as An Cailín Ciúin (The Quiet Girl) was shortlisted for an Oscar, and Brendan Gleeson and Cillian Murphy taking interviews as Gaeilge, I can see it becoming more of a trend with our popular Music too.

From featuring in recent releases from Hozier, Fontaine’s D.C., and Kneecap, this island’s native language is definitely making a comeback through a wide range of genres, and I can only see it being reflected more widely in contemporary music as time goes on. As a foghlaimeoir myself, it’s definitely exciting and something I’d love to bring more into my

music once I’ve moved on from Bunrang!

In what ways does your music reflect your Irish identity or connect with the local culture?

Thinking about it, we might be considered a poster-child for good relations in Northern Ireland. We come from a wide range of backgrounds, including ‘other’ as someone who had no connection to this island until moving over in 2017 at seventeen years of age. So I guess

as a trio, our music reflects the changing and dynamic make up of Ireland. For the first Little Kings EP in 2020 when I worked with 17 different musicians however, there was more of an obvious connection to local culture as I had the pleasure of working with traditional Irish musician mates on bodhráns, fiddles, mandolins. For that EP, I was really just exploring, arranging, and writing for anyone and everyone in a very maximalist way before zoning in on something more concrete since last year.

Can you walk us through the creative process when writing and composing music?

Often, I’m pretty lazy in that I wait for inspiration to strike before writing a song and the bare bones of it comes out in a day. It’s usually inspired by going-ons in life. For example the latest release, “Hands Were The Sun”, was written during lockdown when a whole lot of people, including myself at the time, was forced to do long-distance with partners and everyone else who would, in more normal times, be held near and dear. It’s about wishing I could be something else somewhere else in a transcendental way, to overcome the distances and be with someone.

Could you provide an overview of the current state of the genre you as a band associate with in the Irish music scene. In your opinion, has it evolved in any way over the years?

Folk music, with its stories and ballads and our natural attraction to a good scéal, is a huge source of inspiration to many. In a way, people have always played around with it and brought their own alternative spin to it. The Waterboys are one example, fusing punk with the instrumentation and passion of trad, it’d still be considered eye-opening today. So in a way, not much has changed, nor do I see it going anywhere anytime soon either.

Diversity is an important aspect of any music scene. How do you think your band's music contributes to the diversity of the Irish music scene?

My initial inspirations when starting Little Kings was the likes of Gorrilaz, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Bon Iver, etc, which might’ve been led by one person, but is very much defined by the makeup of the band at the time, which tends to revolve from album to album. I think it’s still a bit of a novel way to approach music (in NI anyways), and one which

even I’m still trying to wrap my head around!

As an Irish band, what advice have you got for other artists trying to navigate the industry and find their unique voice?

Apply for funding, and when that doesn’t work, apply again! I applied for the same fund three times over 9 months, going back after each rejection to make amendments and tweaking the application. I’m super grateful for the feedback, and for Help Musicians for the support. There are a bunch of opportunities out there worth looking into, as the support was definitely a game changer for us.

What can listeners expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming releases, collabs or projects you're excited for?

We’re releasing an EP on the 7th of October! It’ll be five songs that were written in or inspired by the years 2020-’22, a fairly turbulent time in our lives but full of stories nonetheless... We’ll be hosting a launch gig that day (with drums and the incredible Emily McCormick on support) in Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin in Derry, so definitely come down and celebrate with us if you’re about - it’s going to be a blast!

I am going to finish off by asking you, if your instrument could talk, what embarrassing story do you think it would tell about you?

Well. I was busking at the Banbridge Busking Festival aged 18 and had a gig in town immediately after. It was a great day, and even without a win, was in a fairly jolly mood as the sun was shining, it was mid-summer, etc. I was extra jolly by the end of the gig when everyone in the bar had bought me a little drink.

Being from out of town and a student (so fairly broke), I had a camping spot booked nearby for the evening’s accommodation. After a short taxi ride, I arrived in the dark, got out and walked over with my equipment to the site entrance. Alas, it seemed the door was locked, and I simply assumed I had arrived too late to get in. With that, I set up my tent on the

grassy verge of a carpark outside the gate.

After waking up with a hangover to the sounds of dogs and cars passing by, I came out and realised I had managed to miss the unlocked pedestrian entrance to the campsite the night before... we live and we learn!