Little Scout

Sun 13th Sep, 2009 in Features

Patrick Elliott, guitarist and vocalist for indie pop outfit Little Scout was kind enough to have a chat about all things Big Sound. “We’re all pretty excited about it. Especially the bill we are on with The Middle East, Skinny Jean and Rob Schneider was a real bonus for us because we love everyone else whom we are playing with.”

Playing a venue that is usually a “doof-doof” dancing hub of the Valley could be quite bizarre however this doesn’t intimidate the four at all. “If I hadn’t been there before for Big Sound as a guest I would find playing there a bit strange. I went a couple of years ago and saw some of my favourite bands at the time play and I think the sound there was pretty good and it will turn out ok. The surrounds are a bit different. We’re always looking to try out different places and different stages.”

As for the transformation that will occur while Big Sound is running, Patrick states, “It might be weird for some people actually because there will lots of different types of people coming from all over the shop to have a look. It will be interesting how the mix of people go. I think it’s really good that Brisbane is getting the chance to display this level of bands and get the attention that it does. The line-up is cream of the crop sort of stuff. Everyone coming along either I’m already a fan or have been meaning to check out for a while.”

Pat went on to describe the usefulness of events like Big Sound not only for musicians but also for the industry. “Any practical thing like this where you’ve got people who are fully involved in the industry and have done things from the ground up, I think you’d be mad to not get along and see what they have to say. The bands and musicians are just one part. It’s a really good place for people from all parts of the music industry to get together and talk about what’s happening in their particular of the industry. Especially at the moment, with the music industry being such a dynamic environment it’s really good to hear what sort of innovative ideas and approaches people are taking to make a difference or make their way.”

“We’re starting to see the music industry change. Lots of people have had a lot of things to say about the traditional model of the music industry and all the changes that are going on. It’s a good meeting place to put ideas forward and what they think about it.”

Little Scout received large amounts of praise for their first EP, The Dead Loss. As the band prepares to unleash EP number two on the world Pat spoke about where it is at. “We recorded it through July up in Mount Nebo and that was a wonderful experience. We had a great time doing it and it all came together really well. At the moment, it’s sitting there and we’re assessing what our options are in terms of releasing it are. We’re keen to get out and play the material off it and see what people think of it. We plan to release it in the next couple of the moments. At the moment it’s called Different In The Distance. There are four tracks and an instrumental at the start.”

In regard to the process of how their soft indie music comes to life Pat describes, “For Little Scout the writing part is easy, depending on the song we like to go through a long process of demoing it and trying different versions. All of these songs have been around in one way or another for a year or so. They’ve gone through lots of different incarnations. That process of recording them and seeing what works and what doesn’t really benefits us.”

“I certainly myself suffer from demo-itis. There are a couple of songs on the EP that I really thought going in before hand, how on earth we were going to capture that again. Sometimes it’s not even a matter of a demo being note perfect, it can often be a little discrepancy that you’ve made along the way and because you listen to it so many times you fall in love with it. The charm of the demo is really difficult thing to overcome but all the versions we have now are the ones we are happiest with.”

Little Scout play Big Sound Live – the event’s showcase element – at Family Nightclub on Wednesday 9 September.

Big Sound Music Industry Summit takes place September 9-11 at Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art with showcases at surrounding venues in Fortitude Valley Entertainment Precinct.

Head to www.bigsound.org.au for more information.