A Sunshine Coast duo formed by singer, guitarist Cameron Cronk and guitarist Simon Taylor April 2020, Little Mountain peddle a brand of indie folk, pop that has seen them collaborate with Boy & Bear's Tim Hart, who co-produced their debut EP 'When It All Changed'.
The origin of the duo; it was April 2020 and like the rest of the world you had extra time on your hands; how did the project evolve from there?The duo really did come about from just that. . . the gift of some extra time. We organised a jam since COVID had provided the time to do so, and we instantly clicked both musically and on a personal level also.
I actually organised the first get together in April 2020 based on some advice I'd received from Tim Hart (our producer) a few years ago when he explained the importance of playing with other musicians in order to hone, sharpen and promote growth in your own creativity and playing abilities. He was so right, and to be fair, he always is.
We didn't set out with the deliberate intention of forming a duo, in fact I had been a solo performer for the five yeas prior, it just organically evolved into a duo through the process of playing with each other, and continuing to build a larger, live sound together.
We reached a point where it made sense to take this bigger and better sound we were developing to live shows, and move on from the bare, stripped-back solo sound I had worked on up until that point.
Did you have a clear idea of the style of songs you wanted to create together; or have the songs been fostered organically – the song itself dictating the creative direction?
Having been plodding away at the solo musician grind for five years prior to 2020, I had already released an EP in 2018 called 'Tar & Honey', and did already have a pretty clear idea of the indie/ alternative/ folk/ pop/ rock styles that complemented my writing, and some of the overall sounds these genres captured that I do love to incorporate in my tracks.
I have a lot of songs already written that just need refining, and I guess like most musicians you have your own sound preferences and your own style which have been organically fostered and shaped over time, and then sometimes you push yourself outside your comfort zone lyrically or incorporate something different to break the mood a bit and make something stand out.
So in some respects I guess every song has come about through some sort of organic process. I write everything on an acoustic guitar, which also probably somewhat dictates how they come out as well.
Prior to forming Little Mountain, had you collaborated together on other projects?
We hadn't ever collaborated on other projects. Simon had been in a few other bands, and I had really only ever done my own solo thing up until April last year.
The stuff we are doing now is a huge contrast to what Simon had ever been involved with previously; he used to be all about the heavy, grungy, loud, driving, electric guitar sounds, and is now really enjoying the idea of finding a space in our mixes that create mood, ambience, fullness, and an overall richness through complementary and melodic lead breaks and chord progressions.
It's a contrast he has welcomed and is absolutely loving. It's always good creatively to push yourself in another direction and try new stuff, and that's what he is appreciating and embracing.
You've released your debut EP 'When It All Changed'; the floor is yours; how do these songs introduce Little Mountain?
So there's elements of storytelling and some deep, complex themes addressed through our songs, but we deliberately write to create relatable links to each and every listener and the lives they are living.
I like to think that while we definitely focus thematically on heavy things such as heartache, disappointment, grief, trauma, sadness, and turmoil, we wrap those dark elements up in a warm, nostalgic sort of overall package that allows the listener to still feel hopeful, or allows them to have a beautiful moment of reflection and contemplation.
While there's unique elements in our sound, we also offer a comforting sense of familiarity in our tracks. We feel this really serves up that connection and relatability with the listener.
'When It All Changed' is definitely our sound. It's vulnerable at times through tracks like 'Frankie And Mary' and 'Implement The Plan', but then offers a sense of forceful strength through the driving sounds and lyrics of 'Devil's Jaded'.
We feel there is something for everyone on this EP, and we are so happy with the final product as our debut of Little Mountain.
You co-produced the EP with Boy & Bear's Tim Hart; how did that collaboration come about and what did Tim bring that enhanced the project?
In all honesty, what didn't Tim bring to the project?! His advice, skills, experience and musical maturity is second to none.
Working so closely with him you discover instantly that he is an amazing musician, and such an awesome person as well. He's very inspiring. He's a multi-instrumentalist and very experienced with recording which you can tell has advanced his ability to see an overall picture with every song he works on.
He has an ability to see how different elements will achieve a desired effect and seems to just know what will work and what won't. He works in a way that offers ideas and insights without detracting from the original vision or vibe of a song.
He presents options and opinions, but ultimately leaves the choices and decision making up to the artist. All the marks of a great producer in my opinion.
The value of his experience, professionalism, knowledge, and musical abilities and instincts were what he brought to the project, but he also brought so much more than that with the teaching and learning that he provided through the whole process.
He is actually my brother-in-law now, and having him that close to me has really set him up as my musical mentor whether he likes it or not. I'm constantly pestering him with questions and seeking his advice. He has been so selfless with his time and knowledge ever since he co-produced my solo EP 'Tar And Honey' in 2018.
It is fact that I would never had considered even heading down a musical path in any capacity at all without his encouragement and influence. Plus who doesn't like Boy & Bear hey, they are truly one of the best live acts out there at the moment.
I'm told your influences range from Fleetwood Mac to Pixies; are you musicians who allow outside forces to be absorbed into your own work?
I think it would be a lie to say that we don't allow outside forces to be absorbed in our work. I think every musician, as unique or individual as they may appear would be dreaming if they thought they weren't influenced in some way by different outside forces.
Let's face it, music goes through cycles and eras, and each modern and contemporary style and genre is influenced by what has happened before it.
That's not to say that artists like ourselves don't add our own individuality to things, I just think that music from the past has definitely shaped and influenced the music of today and tomorrow, even if it's artists deciding to do the opposite of certain trends, that to me is still indicates an influence.
We tend to listen to and appreciate a pretty broad range of different music, but we seem to always come back to what we think is engaging song writing – whether it be lyrics, melody or hooks etc., we listen to anything we can connect to.
That's what bands like Fleetwood Mac, Pixies, Gang Of Youths, Boy & Bear, and Middle Kids offer to us, so yeah we absorb some of that influence and link it to our mood and experiences at the time of writing.
That's not to say that we don't like to jump around to Prodigy, get angsty with a bit of Rage Against The Machine, or even get our street ball on with a bit of old school hip hop. Given the right context we can appreciate pretty much anything.
Lyrically, what type of themes, subject matter do you like to explore, focus on?
I always find the darker stuff easier to write about. It's never forced, it's always real, and it tends to be broadly relatable to listeners. I wouldn't say I like to focus on the morbid and depressing parts of life, but more the hope and beautiful realisations that can stem from them.
I think that songwriting is a way for me to address things from my past that have affected me, and did leave an impact on who I am today, and I think a lot of people can relate to that idea.
Even the songs of mine that people assume capture a 'happy' or 'carefree' vibe are generally rooted in some sort of idea of escaping or overcoming a scenario that could well have easily gone awry; and I guess that's what I like to reflect on with themes that I write about.
Even regretful moments in life, times when you may not have made the right decisions can present themselves as an awesome story, or fleeting moment of realising it hasn't defined you, and you can get past it.
You have a launch show on the Sunny Coast in mid-May at The Farm; you must be amped to get on stage and share these songs with a live audience?
Yes, we are so humbled by the fact that we sold out in a few days – we are really excited, very amped. This is our first show, it's a fairly intimate one with around 70 people there in a picturesque outdoor setting of fairy lights, rugs, cushions etc. We are really looking forward to it.
In between songs, do you merge into storytelling mode sharing tales with the audience?
I'm not much of a talker in between songs, so Simon will have his own mic on the night to assist with that side of things. That's not to say that I don't engage, I like to establish a relaxed rapport with the audience through a low key approach.
We are always up for a laugh and love to hear from the people we are playing to as well. I find I hold back on offering a lot of detail about each song as our objective is to not dictate meaning, but let the listener interpret and discover their own links according to their idea of the theme presented.
Plans to lock in more shows in the coming months? Maybe a tour, interstate travel (if COVID allows it)?
We are going to be heading north to Townsville and stop off at a few coast and rural venues off the back of this sold-out launch, but we are still finalising details in relation to that at the moment. Interstate, NSW is looking like an option also, but it's a very strange time with all the COVID stuff, so cementing plans is proving to be a precarious process, but it is happening.
The Sunshine Coast indie music scene has never been stronger; is there an inclusive community of local musicians and artists to support each other, fostering the creative industries?
There is certainly a local scene with key spokespeople promoting the creative industries etc. which is good.
We generally keep to ourselves as that's the sort of people we are, and I guess we a relatively new to the scene. We have appreciated the support and encouragement from local artists like Dan Horne; he's a really awesome person.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party?
Adalita Srsen has always been an idol of Simon's and we've both always loved Magic Dirt so she would have to be there. We think she would have some amazing stories for the dinner table based on her experiences, and provide some inspiration also. Plus she just comes across as a really genuinely cool person hey.
Michael Jordan would defs get an invite, and that would really just be so I could tick of a childhood bucket list item and get him to sign the array of memorabilia I hoarded as a kid (rookie cards, jerseys, books, shoes etc.) and play him one-on-one after dessert. We were pretty obsessed with ballin' for a bit there in the '90s.
(David Le'aupepe would get an invite purely based on Cam's man crush on him, we would have to see if that's a bromance that could blossom!)
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends?
We are both absolute lovers for sure. We have both always had pets, and both have a really big appreciation for animals, whether they be domestic ones or wild. Animals really are the best people.
Which fictional character best describes your personality?
Peter Quill/ Star Lord from 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' is one we agree captures a lot of both of us hey. We can be charming and courageous, roguish at times, but we are certainly no angels, nor do many people take us that seriously despite our best intentions.
Last show you binge-watched (and what kept you glued to the screen)?
'Letterkenny' – because it is just proper funny hey. We have a few Canadian friends so the links we have to some of the shows antics is so good.
'Ozark' – We are Jason Bateman fans, and this show is just really engaging. What's not to be glued to: cartel gangsters, family dramas, cliff hangers every episode. Yeah, there were a few days missing watching this one.
