Little Destroyer – Allie Sheldan
by Alex Teitz
Little Destroyer is an alternative rock band from British Columbia made up of Allie Sheldan and Michael and Chris Weiss. They were in Colorado recently as part of the Canada to Colorado: Music Trade Mission. They are completing their new EP Strange Futures. They are known for fierce singles including “Rattlesnakes” and “Bad Cell.” FEMMUSIC was happy to be able to do an e-mail interview with Allie Sheldan. For info visit http://littledestroyer.com/
FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?
AS: Songs tend to have a mind of their own and I find come to life in a couple different ways… sometimes it starts with a riff, or a couple lines of lyric, other times its just a feel or a general concept that I know I wanna build a song around. I also keep a laundry list of song names and sometimes it’s as simple as starting with a song title. So for me there’s no one formula, with the exception of two things that are constant: I always think of songwriting like architecture and I do at least 80% of lyric/melody while driving.
FEMMUSIC: What has been the biggest challenge making the Strange Futures EP?
AS: This EP was written over the course of a year while the band was living apart. I had moved to LA and the other members (Chris & Michael Weiss) would fly down from Vancouver every couple months to do these intense 5 day writing sessions. We’d go into the studio around noon and grind until 5am – and repeat for 5 days… we’d all start to feel crazy and delusional after about 2 days.
FEMMUSIC: What is your favorite song on the EP and your story behind it?
AS: For a long time it was Rattlesnakes. I love the sounds & feel and the disillusionment that emanates from that track. It’s that lonely feeling of a cleared out club after last call and the houselights come up. The party doesn’t believe in you so why are you still holding on?
But more recently I’ve really started to love our song Mansions – which actually started off as probably my least favorite song. It’s a very personal set of lyrics that I felt very self-conscious about and embarrassed by forever. Not to mention, it’s the ballad on the EP, and who honestly likes ballads? Haha. But playing the song live has completely changed my relationship with it. I think because the song is so honest and vulnerable (dealing with feelings of failure, depression, jealousy, isolation, self-medicating) it connected with people in very real and big way. The impact it has had on our audience has had a huge impact on me.
FEMMUSIC: What song (not your own) has had the biggest impact on you and Why?
AS: Impossible for me to answer but I’ll say YEESUZ had a huge impact on me and the boys right around the start of Little Destroyer. It totally blew my mind. I loved how stripped down it was, how distorted and fucked up the drums and synths were and how heavy the lyrics were.
FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you been discriminated against?
AS: You are constantly underestimated while simultaneously being held to a higher standard. You are also constantly made to feel like there is far less space for you (because there is less space for you). I take particular pleasure in crushing the obstacles, expectations and bad attitudes (and pricks) in my path.
No illusions – being a woman in the music industry is so often completely fucked up but it’s important I acknowledge the opportunity and privilege I do experience being a white woman and a femme queer – Women make up only about 15% or songwriters and composers and of that less than 3% are minorities-POC, Latina, Asian, Indigenous, and of that number it’s a minuscule percentage who are LGBTQ+… And that’s just on the songwriting side – what about the business side? The tech side? We have to work together to create more space, support and opportunity for female/trans minorities; if you don’t see yourself represented and there’s a behemoth system saying you’re unwanted how likely are you to enter that world?
FEMMUSIC: Whom would you most like to tour with or collaborate with & Why?
AS: Collaborate: Bjork! – Bjork is a superpower, there is no one who compares, she is the ultimate.
Tour: Laura Jane Grace/Against Me! – Is anyone cooler? Also politically aligned and on a mission to rewrite the script!
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?
AS: Dismantling the old boys club and their circle jerk feedback loop. (nothing against circle jerks, just jerks).