Little Dragon, the much-loved Grammy-nominated Swedish band have release new single “Gold” — “a reflection on the riches that money can’t buy,” that sees the band refract pop hits of the 90’s and 00’s over a sluggish, synth heavy groove.
It’s the latest glimpse of their forthcoming album ‘Slugs Of Love’, out July 7th on Ninja Tune, which also features a guest turn from Damon Albarn (Gorillaz/Blur) on “Glow”, a “slow dripping glittery ride to a daydream in wonderland” and a collaboration with respected East Atlanta rapper JID (who is signed with J. Cole’s Dreamville label) on the previously released single “Stay”, a song which charts the ups and downs of a relationship. The latest in the band’s long history of high-profile collaborations which has included working with the likes of Kali Uchis, KAYTRANADA, Brittany Howard, Flying Lotus, BADBADNOTGOOD, Moses Sumney, Kelsey Lu, Gorillaz, Big Boi (OutKast), SBTRKT, Yo-Yo Ma and many more. They additionally count the likes of SZA, Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak, Diplo, Flume, Ava DuVerney, Ali Wong, Syd, Disclosure, LaKeith Stanfield, The xx and many more as fans, a further attestation to their status as one of the most influential bands of their era.
It follows the recently released “Kenneth” (a soulful, lo-fi tribute to a childhood friend. “It’s about friendship and love”) and titular single “Slugs Of Love” (a joyous, upbeat track which the band say they imagine “being played by a bunch of youngsters with rubberboots in different sparkling colors”) with both tracks arriving alongside official videos from animation studio Unlimited Time Only (who have previously worked with Khruangbin, Leon Bridges, Teva and more) for a stunning and playful video to accompany the track.
Consisting of school friends Erik Bodin (drums and percussion), Fredrik Wallin (bass), Håkan Wirenstarnd (keyboards) and Yukimi Nagano (vocals), the band have gone on to become one of the most consistent, respected and universally loved bands of recent times. Recorded in the musical oasis of their Gothenburg Studio — the same studio they have worked in for almost 20 years — on ‘Slugs Of Love’ they bring their distinctive blend of soulful pop, electronics and R&B — all underpinned by lead singer Yukimi’s instantly recognisable vocals — to the fore across 11 tracks that encapsulate the full range of their diverse individual musical influences.
Their previous full-length album, ‘New Me, Same Us’, was released on Ninja Tune in 2020 and lauded by the likes of the New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, The Guardian, Mixmag, Crack Magazine and many more, with the band also joining NPR Music for an intimate Tiny Desk (Home) Concert filmed at their long-term home-built studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. Entirely self-produced and recorded at the pioneering Swedish band’s studio, the album hit #5 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the US, with Mixmag calling it “a futuristic record bursting with lush textures and elevated by lead singer Yukimi Nagano’s sublime vocals” and The Guardian finding them on “on deliciously soulful form”. They followed up the release with their “New Me, Same Us Remix EP” which featured the likes of Midland, Octo Octa, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Ela Minus and many more.
The band’s hugely popular and highly regarded live performances have spawned a decade-spanning touring career, including festival highlights such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Bestival, Sonar, All Points East, Dimensions Festival, Parklife, Lovebox, Love Saves The Day, Melt and Dour; co-headlining the Hollywood Bowl and Berkeley’s Greek Theatre with Flying Lotus supported by BADBADNOTGOOD and sold out two nights at London’s Roundhouse and most recently, Koko.
They most recently completed an eventful tour across the US and Canada alongside Leon Bridges, playing to a total of 185K people at iconic venues including The Forum (LA), Forest Hills (NYC) and Scotiabank Arena (Toronto). The tour almost didn’t happen though, when a week before they were due to fly out, their driver disappeared with their deposit. “It started as a normal tour, with two buses and drivers, and ended with a lawsuit and various minivans. We had to consider canceling the tour, or finding solutions on the go. In the end we decided to try, and thanks to our amazing team, we succeeded, we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Little Dragon’s new album ‘Slugs Of Love’ is out on July 7th on Ninja Tune.
Little Dragon Live
July 13 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC
July 14 – Baby’s All Right, Brooklyn, NYC
Nov 09: Trädgår’n, Gothenburg, SE
Nov 10: Kägelbanan, Stockholm, SE
Nov 11: Vulkan, Oslo, NO
Nov 14: Amagar Bio, Copenhagen, DK
Nov 15: Astra, Berlin, DE
Nov 17: Maassilo, Rotterdam, NL
Nov 18: Élysée Montmartre, Paris, FR
Nov 19: Botanique, Brussels, BE
Nov 21: Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL
Nov 22: Royal Albert Hall, London, UK
Oct 01 – Portola Festival, San Francisco
‘Slugs of Love’ Tracklist
1. Amöban
2. Frisco
3. Slugs of Love
4. Disco Dangerous
5. Lily’s Call
6. Stay (feat. JID)
7. Gold
8. Kenneth
9. Glow (feat. Damon Albarn)
10. Tumbling Dice
11. Easy Falling
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