Refusing to be defined by a specific genre, Little Lies delve into a variety of sounds for their emotional and heartfelt debut EP, titled “Us Against The World”. Showing off their incredible songwriting ability and awesome textured vocals. The release of this EP acts as the follow-up to their single “Carolina”.
Little Lies is the captivating collaboration of two accomplished artists, Mikael Nordgren and Anna Maria Espinosa, who have each left their mark on Sweden’s music scene. With a wealth of experience from separate successful careers, Anna Maria Espinosa, one of Sweden’s most established singers, has graced the stage alongside pop royalty like Neneh Cherry and Billy Paul. On the other hand, Stockholm-based Mikael Nordgren, also known as Tiger Stripes, has built a solid international reputation as an underground producer, remix specialist, and DJ, taking his futuristic techno to renowned venues worldwide. Together, under the name Little Lies, they fuse their talents, blending a touch of retro nostalgia with futuristic elements, resulting in a truly unique sound that transcends genres. Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, Warpaint, ABBA, and more, Little Lies is poised to break new ground, sharing their innovative music not only with their Swedish audience but with fans across the globe.
Talking about their EP, Little Lies said: “Our debut EP is a small snapshot of what to expect from our forthcoming album ‘Destination Unknown’. We wanted these songs to tell relatable moving stories alongside a contemporary sound that draws inspiration from our songwriting heroes of the past. For the single ’Us Against The World’ we wanted to create something beautiful, lush and dreamy with a solid groove. There is not much happiness to be found in the heartbroken lyrics but in the music, there is plenty of hope and strength.”
Stream “Us Against The World” by Little Lies on Spotify here:
According to Spotify, all five tracks on the “Us Against The World” EP have been written and produced by Mikael Nordgren while the other half of Little Lies, Anna Maria Espinosa is known as the vocalist. The EP starts with the title track, which is a sonically synth-heavy indie-pop track that mellows out as soon as the vocals kick in, giving Anna Maria Espinosa the spotlight. Conveying heartbroken vocals, she manages to make us feel her sadness, while the backing track does inspire some hope in the rhythmic tones. Following that is “Swallowed Up In Space”, which starts off with a hard-hitting drum beat surrounded by electronic beats including a guitar and synths, giving this track an electro-rock feel from the get-go. The vocals remind us of the ’80s which spins well around Mikael Nordgren’s production, bringing a Fleetwood Mac vibe to it, allowing Little Lies to show their versatility and their ability to take us to space. The drop after the chorus brings an experimental techno element to the track, effortlessly making this catchy and addictive.
The third track on the EP is titled “Carolina”. This track switches the EP up even more taking a more indie-rock route whilst also adding ’80s-inspired electronic elements, pretty much flipping around the style from the previous track. Vocally, Anna Maria Espinosa brings relatable energy with the questioning lyrics, hitting out on someone who may have cheated on someone she knows, called “Carolina”. It’s an interesting storytelling perspective, as we’re used to the narrator being one of the people in the relationship instead, Little Lies presents this song from the perspective of a friend, and it’s interesting to hear this point of view. The backing beat coalesces perfectly around the vocals and feels like something you’d hear as part of a TV soundtrack from the ’00s, like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. “Signals Crossed” is next up, which starts with strong vocals – this is the best Anna Maria Espinosa sounds throughout the EP, clearly she connected deeply with the track. Ethereal and chilled, this track has folk vibes running throughout allowing Little Lies to completely shine. Emotional, not just vocally but instrumentally, this is a powerful track that brings a beaty segment after the chorus that really helps to shape the entire sound. “Destination Unknown” ends the EP by continuing the spacey ethereal sound before an ’80s dance segment crashes in which shouldn’t work but it so does. The track adds guitar melodies whilst also allowing it to breathe, giving us everything but slowly, carefully, and precisely, taking us on a journey to a destination unknown – with their debut album on its way, is that where Little Lies are taking us?
Stream “Swallowed Up In Space”, our favourite track from the EP, on Spotify here:
“Up Against The World”, by Little Lies, is available to download and stream, right now, across all platforms, via Cosmos, a division of Cosmos Music. Be ready for their upcoming debut album, titled “Destination Unknown” which is expected to be released later on in the year.