It’s hip hop with horns to the fore with Little Sunday’s Desert Rave, a delightful groove of a track that arrives only a few months after the December 2022 release of the now Tāmaki Makaurau fivesome’s debut album ‘Good Company’. Describing it as ‘…something a little different from Little Sunday’, the trance-isional track held appeal for NZ On Air Music who featured it on their NewTracks compilation this April.

What are your full names, where are you from and what instruments do you each play?

Andrew Benington – Bass and saxophone, from Queenstown.
Arthur Ibbotson – Guitar and vocals, from Dunedin.
Nick Yates-Henderson – Guitar and vocals, from Dunedin.
Charles Wheeler – Drums and percussion, from Auckland (not pictured).
Phoebe Nowell Usticke – Keys, synth and vocals, from Hawkes Bay (not pictured).

Was any high school or other music training especially important?

Nick has been in other bands through school and in uni but Little Sunday was our first band where we were able to record and release music together.

Any other projects that we might know you from?

Nick also has a solo performance under his name and is currently working on his debut album set to be released later this year.

What’s the background story of how Little Sunday came to be? 

We all (bar Phoebe) studied down in Dunedin, but didn’t start playing music together until 2019 when we moved to Auckland. Little Sunday originally started as a three-piece with Nick and Arthur on vocals and Andrew on bass and sax. Phoebe and Charles joined the band in 2020 after we had released our first EP.

How did you come up with the name?

Little Sunday was developed during a sunny afternoon in the backyard of an Auckland flat. Having a few tubes on the Sabbath and doing everything we could to make those weekends last as long as possible. We carry those vibes throughout our lives three years later and have built upon the privilege that is making music with your best friends.

How has your music evolved from the band beginnings?

A lot of our songs are based on jamming and deciphering the ideas that come out of those sessions. For our debut album ‘Good Company’, which was released in December, we were lucky enough to rent an AirBNB over a long weekend and put a full four days into song creation. That album captures the essence of our state of mind during that long weekend and portrays the strong bonds that we have together as a band.

Aside from this release, what’s been the highlight to date? 

One of our favourite gigs was during our summer tour at 2 Mile Bay Sailing Club in Taupō. We were perched on a stage overhanging the lake and the sun was setting behind us during our set, some seriously magical stuff. The crowd was also super into it!
We were also lucky enough to open for the Mako Road legends at the Powerstation. It is personally my favourite venue to watch music and was a dream come true being able to play there to a full house.

What makes Desert Rave stand out for you as a single?

Desert Rave is a melting pot of influence that has been brewing steadily since the ages of old-school hip hop. Splash this delicacy onto the Sahara sand dunes and let the vibrato saxophone snake charm you into the Desert Rave trance.

It was a song that we initially intended to be on our album ‘Good Company’ which we released in December 2022. Once it all came together though there felt like a real separation between this track and the others, and so we thought it worked better as a stand-alone single.

Something a little different from Little Sunday.

What’s the story behind Desert Rave?

It started off with a jam in Nick’s bedroom. He was playing a sax sound through a MIDI keyboard; Charles was playing a basic hip hop beat on a kick, snare and hat set up; our good mate Ritchie was doing some simple strumming and Arthur started spitting some rap. It happened pretty much immediately and we were frothing the jam. We basically didn’t think about the song until recording the album where the idea re-emerged and came to life with a real saxophone sound (thanks Andy).

What’s your favourite moment, musical or lyrical, of the single?

For me (Nick) it’s a tie with the billowing sax delay hook and Arthur’s rapping. I really like the flow and bounce he gets in this track with his lyrics.

Who did you record/produce the single with and where?

As I mentioned above, the song came together almost instantly in the first jam. We recorded the drums, bass and sax at The Lab with Ollie Harmer who we love working with. We recorded the guitar and vocals at home and I produced the song from my home studio, along with the rest of ‘Good Company’.

What would you like listeners to take away from this song?

A smile on the face and a bit more swagger in the step.

How do you generally work out what song would make a good single?

In general, we like to pick the songs that represent our music best to us, however, with this single it was that it was something new and worked better as its own piece of music.

Who else is in your team?

We’re on board with DRM who help us out with distribution and playlisting etc, but otherwise, we suss everything ourselves with a little help from our friends.

Are there any other musical endeavours you’re working on that we should keep an eye out for? 

Nick is working on a solo project album under ‘Nick Henderson’, which has a nice lazy chill vibe to it. There is one single out currently, with a few more to come before the album later on in the year. Keep and eye out and have a listen for me!

Can you please name three other local tunes that would fit well on a playlist alongside your song. 

• Kade Reef: Hey Sunshine
• Wax Mustang – Honey
• Sycodelic: Bliss

Have any previous NZOA applications not gained funding or been included on NewTracks? Got any advice for others?

We have definitely had our fair share of failed applications! I guess the advice would be to keep persisting and submitting new stuff, don’t let rejection get ya down! Keep the motivation up.

Was there an NZOA criterion you struggled with in the application? Which was it and how did you work it out in the end?

Festivals are always a hard one to land and we have battled as a band to get through to some of the promoters. We keep trying to get the Little Sunday name out there and do our best to get into positions that get us in front of the right people.

Are there any musical blogs, Youtube channels or podcasts you’re super into?

The Sound Exploder podcast is a great way to get writing inspiration. It breaks down the writing process and gives a glimpse into some of my favourite musicians’ minds, about how they approach songs and the path that they take. I would highly recommend checking this one out, there are bound to be some of your favourite musicians featured on this.

Is there is a music video as well?

We don’t have a music video for Desert Rave at this stage unfortunately, we did make some music videos for a few of the tunes on ‘Good Company’ which you can check out below!

Any last words?

It’s important to always stay true to yourself and your unique style, while also being open to learning and growth. Seek out opportunities to collaborate with other musicians, attend workshops and music festivals, and always strive to improve your craft.
Remember that success doesn’t come overnight, and setbacks and rejection are all part of the journey. But don’t let them discourage you. Keep pushing forward, stay focused on your goals, and don’t be afraid to take risks.
Keep on keeping on down your musical path and enjoy the journey!
Much love from Little Sunday 🌞

Ngā mihi, Little Sunday