Pros and cons of the Collective
Formed during high school in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1996, indie-electronic group Little Dragon immediately garnered attention for their sombre yet exquisite ballad „Twice“. The collective comprising Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin, Fredrik Wallin and Håkan Wirenstran signed to Peacefrog Records for their eponymous debut album, lighting the blue touch paper on what would turn out to be an illustrious career underscored by critical acclaim.
The title of their latest album, „New Me, Same Us“, signifies Little Dragon’s ability to regenerate. Their joint capacity to improve themselves as musicians has been an ongoing process that now sees them more comfortable in their own skin than ever before, further emphasised by their decision to self-produce the album at their home studio in Gothenburg.
Beat/ Yukimi, what’s the story behind the band being named after you?
Yukimi/ Back in the day we used to have lots of passionate explosions – I spat fire once or twice and was nicknamed Little Dragon. We’re four people with lots of opinions. On some rare occasions we agree, but most of the time we disagree. It’s a beautiful thing to find solutions and new ways to communicate our differences, but I think it’s inevitable for any band to have friction.
Frederik/ We’re not cloned quadruplets or a creepy cult; we’re four very different individuals who make up this beautiful, somehow democratic band. Most of the time we’re civilised, but there are moods, pouts and the occasional object thrown. Remember, we’re dealing with serious, complex decisions concerning the rhythm and sound of a song or visual element, so things are bound to get rough. But we always manage to agree, or agree to disagree, in the end and that’s something we’ve become much better at lately. As Yukimi says, it’s the friction that makes us spark.
Beat/ While being together for so long gives you the benefit of familiarity, does it also become difficult to change things up over time?
It’s easy to fall into patterns for sure, but I think that challenge goes for any artist. Whether you’re a solo artist or in a group, the question of how to challenge yourself and your sound when you’re starting to get comfortable
