Little Death

Little Death came into the world in spring of 2018, about a year after singer Willy Gantrim moved to New Orleans from New York City. Upon arrival, Willy linked up with his old friend and fellow NYC expat Defne “Dizzy” Incirlioglu, who was already immersed in the local music scene. Willy and Dizzy became friends and had toured together with other members of a tight-knit music community with ties to NYC and NOLA, and she in turn introduced him to her childhood friend, guitarist Sedef “Switch” Seren, of New Orleans punks Gland (among others). Discovering a shared love of contemporary DIY music and early R&B, the three set out to create a sound influenced by both styles to adapt to Willy’s original compositions. A few friends rotated in and out of the group on bass until Harlan Chancey, another close friend and former bandmate of Dizzy’s, joined permanently in 2019. That summer, the newly-minted quartet enlisted Zach Quinn (Pears) to record their debut full-length. Mixed by James Whitten (Thou, Donovan Wolfington), Little Death captures the intimacy of Willy’s songwriting while also managing to convey the electric dynamism of the band's live show.

ABOUT THE ALBUM:
Little Death, the debut album of the eponymous band, was recorded between huffs of desperately needed air conditioning in the New Orleans summer of 2019. At that time the band had been playing together for a few months, but the songs had been accumulating for over ten years. Songs of heartache, desperation and existential frustration from vocalist and guitar player, Willy, on acoustic guitar were projected through an electric prism by Dizzy's thunderous backbeat, Switch's atmospheric lead-guitar and backing vocals, and former-bassist Bob's steady low end. The resulting sound is reflective of each band members' varied tastes and musical gamuts but also their shared love of rock ‘n’ roll. And though the songs are bleak and seemingly pessimistic, perhaps some affirmation was fleetingly found in the joy of singing, playing, and recording them.