Q&A: Dallas Trio Little Image Sheds Light on New Music, Single “OUT OF MY MIND” & Their Beginnings
WITH THEIR PERFECTLY CURATED SOUND — alt-pop group Little Image proves why their genre, with hints of electronic elements mixed in, will never go out of style. Composed of Jackson Simmons (vocals/guitar), Brandon Walters (bass/synth), and Troy Bruner (drums), Little Image’s genuine affection for their fans and their music is measurable in every song, bleeding into every aspect of their career. The trio went from strangers on the internet to a tight-knit group successfully releasing and performing music.
Their new single, “OUT OF MY MIND,” showcases a fresh sound for Little Image, as it reigns heavily on the pop side. But the trio doesn’t stray from the heart of their music, as the single still holds tinges of the alternative with electronic pops of sound. One listen to this track and anyone will be able to hear the cultivated yet bold sound that Little Image carries into their career.
Read below to learn more about their new single, “OUT OF MY MIND,” how the bandmates met, and where they draw influence from.
LUNA: Little Image has been together for quite some time now. How would you describe the origin story of your band?
SIMMONS: When we were in high school I wrote a small album and wanted to start a band. I met Brandon and Troy on Instagram and just reached out to them with the idea of forming a band, and the rest is history.
LUNA: All bands have other music and artists they look up to or who unknowingly influence their sound. Who are some artists or bands you would say influence your music?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: We’ve taken influence from all over the place. The three of us have different music tastes, as well as being obsessed with the same bands. Some specific artists that all three of us are in perfect agreement on influencing the band are Radiohead, Phoenix, and Biggie Smalls; Turnstile is the most recent. It spans all the way from funk to hip-hop, to alt to rock ’n’ roll.
LUNA: Your new single, “OUT OF MY MIND,” comes out on Jan. 20. Could you shed light on the behind-the-scenes of its creation?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: That was one of the first songs we actually did a co-writing session with someone, which was a fun experience. We haven’t been in the room with an outside voice until this writing. We worked with the producer Chad Copelin and got to work with a bunch of cool analog gear that he had, [and we got to] run our vocals through analog reverb tanks. This song is special because it is a pop entry of Little Image while remaining sonically genuine to our usual sound. The goal was to hear the realness of the room and I think we got to accomplish this on “OUT OF MY MIND.” It feels nostalgic but also accessible to the current space we are in.
LUNA: COVID was a really trying time for a lot of artists, as well as the music industry in general. I heard COVID had a positive impact on your band. How did you take such a negative situation and turn it into a positive space for Little Image?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: We had just come off our first long tour together and we had a lot of ups and downs during that tour. We actually had to say bye to our van in Flint, Michigan because it broke down. A lot of things happened that you don’t really expect to happen. It was really hard on our relationships with each other. To have that time [where] we weren’t allowed to be a band and having the only thing we [could] focus on [be] our music was the biggest benefit to us. We got to focus on the writing, production, and who we wanted to work with. To be able to have that time was really positive for us.
LUNA: How would you say your earlier singles such as “EGO” and “WORTH IT” helped you solidify your sound?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: Those singles came at a time when we really didn’t know what the plan was. Those two songs bookend our new album that is coming out and kind of wrap up the album overall. If you were to tell us how to describe the album as a whole, we would say just listen to those two songs. They are very special, and we put them out first because it's an obvious example of what we are trying to create and invite people to be a part of the band.
LUNA: You are gearing up to release your upcoming album. What does this album release mean to you as a band?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: It kind of feels like the true beginning for us — not to downsize that we have been a band since we were in high school, but it feels like we are now fully grown up into the band that we want to be. This feels like the real start for us.
LUNA: I know you guys are gearing up to go on tour and support Colony House. What are you most excited about getting ready to play live shows on this tour?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: Just to be back with the boys. This is the most excited we have been for a tour, just because Colony House are really good friends of ours. We have never been on a tour before where we already knew the band prior to going on tour. We are also just excited to bring our music to the fans and share more of our songs with people in a physical space.
LUNA: What can fans look forward to seeing from you in the near future?
SIMMONS, WALTER, BRUNER: Obviously, the album coming out, as well as lots of touring. We are always working on new ideas but nothing is set in stone yet. Keep your eyes open for fun stuff on the way.
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