INTERVIEW: Little Sparrow — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Shay Rowan (design by SHOTHOUSE, Brighton)

Little Sparrow

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IT has been a while since I have conducted an interview…

PHOTO CREDIT: Shay Rowan

and it is great to catch up with an artist I have been following for a long time. Little Sparrow (Katie Ware) came to my attention when she released her album, Wishing Tree, in 2014, and I have been hooked on her music since. Her latest single, Tears, is out, and I was keen to find out the origin of the song; how its amazing video came together, in addition to how she has fared during a very tough year. I also find out about Little Sparrow’s favourite albums of this year, the music that influenced her growing up, and whether we might get a new album soon…

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Hey. How has your week been? Have you got all your Christmas shopping sorted?!

Hi. I’m good, thanks! I am halfway through my Xmas shopping. I started early; I was impressed with myself, but now I’ve stopped so I will probably be panicking in a week’s time!

I don’t think I have asked you before, but your artist moniker, ‘Little Sparrow’…is that from the Dolly Parton song of the same name?

No, it isn’t, although I get asked that a lot…

It comes from Guy Garvey (Elbow) affectionately calling me “cockney sparra” when I first moved here (Manchester) from Cambridgeshire. My accent was strong! It was Guy that suggested using it for a stage-name - although I changed the ‘cockney’ for ‘Little’. It seemed more fitting.

Tears is your latest song. What was the inspiration and starting point for it?

Tears is actually written by my dad, Mick Ware, when I was a little girl back in 1984. It was my favourite song that he used to sing to me at bedtime. My dad had a home studio and he wrote many songs in this time - but Tears had such a pull on my heartstrings. I felt so sorry for my dad writing a song about being lonely in space. My dad was fascinated by space and talked often of wanting to be an astronaut and being able to go to the moon! I really don’t have the same desire…but I loved the fact that my dad was so excited by it.

I like the video! It seems like it was pretty cool to put together. What was it like working on that?

Yes. Making the video was lots of fun. Luca Rudlin from People Staring is the genius behind it. Luca and I have worked together for a few years now, and we have a great creative connection. He basically makes me feel that anything is possible. It’s great. We knew we wanted a space helmet and the feeling of being lonely. I also wanted to play on the title of the track, Tears, so the mime artist make-up was used because of the painted tear. It also added a sinister feel to the video. We shot the video several times using different stages of make-up in a blacked-out studio.

I was lucky enough to have a team of make-up artists to help me achieve this from Future Skills at MediaCityUK. A big thank you to Beverley Braisdell for making this happen! Luca managed to build a structure that would hold the helmet in the same position, therefore allowing us to shoot the video repeatedly without the helmet moving. We also used several people to hold small lights up in the blacked-out studio to act as stars reflecting in the helmet. It really was an exciting process trying to create that feeling of being alone in space.

Might we see a new Little Sparrow album come next year?

I do hope so! I have been working on the second album for a while. I had to take a natural break from music after the birth of my son, but gradually I am making a return. I really can’t wait to get things rolling again and try out some of the newer material!

Your music has received support from blogs, websites, and radio stations like BBC Radio 6 Music. How important is it getting that sort of backing?

I would say it’s vital!

All these things spread the word about your music, and this includes all radio stations: regional, national and international; all blogs: well-known or less well-known. They are all important in getting your music heard. It is always so lovely to get the support from any of these platforms and I am forever grateful.

Winding back to your childhood. Which artists and albums struck your ear early and influenced your love of music?

All About Eve - I adored this band! Every album! Kate Bush - loved her energy, her creativity, her freedom. Peter Gabriel (Us album). I listened to this album repeatedly! His voice is mesmerising. Tori Amos - Under the Pink. The Cure, New Model Army, The Mission, The Levellers - my Doc Martin years! (I had green tartan laces, plus a pair of oversized combat boots!).

This year has been tough for all artists. How has your 2020 been in general?

Yeah. This year has been tough - like it has been for everyone. On so many levels. As well as live music coming to a standstill, the whole impact of not being able to see other people has been mentally very hard. I believe it will take some time for us all to recover from this mentally, but we will hopefully find a new positivity and thankfulness in our everyday lives when life resumes to the new-normal. Maybe we will be more grateful for the simpler things in life. We will say ‘hello’ to the stranger passing us by; we might knock on our neighbours doors more often and ask whether they need anything from the shops?

We all respect our frontline workers for their hard work and we will be forever grateful, because we we’re all in this together. We all have a story to tell about this pandemic. My son was rushed to hospital right back in March (the 21st), the day after lockdown. It was very scary, but thankfully he was okay and recovered. My brother got COVID-19 in April and he was very poorly. Again, a very scary time. We have had COVID-19 twice in this house in September. It really has been a testing time for us.

But, in amongst the nightmare, there has been amazing kindness and care. Friends and neighbours really looked after us. It blew me away and proved to me that, when things get tough, we all pull together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Shay Rowan

I am a big fan of your 2014 album, Wishing Tree. How do you think you have grown as an artist since then?

I have definitely got more experimental with my sound; pushed the boundaries a little; dipped my toe into some different sounds, and probably moved slightly over to the dark side!

Despite 2020 being rough, there has been some great music put out. What are your favourite three albums of this year?

Agnes Obel - Myopia

Ólafur Arnalds - Some Kind of Peace

The Slow Readers Club - The Joy of the Return

IN THIS PHOTO: Elfin Bow

Are there new/rising artists out there that you suggest we check out?

I only ever know about the artists that I encounter on my journey through music, so I would have to say Elfin Bow.

Although not new, she is definitely rising. I am lucky enough to have met Elizabeth (Elfin Bow) a couple of years ago when I performed at the Liverpool Philharmonic. We were both performing. There started a wonderful relationship which has taken us to other wonderful venues and we even got to perform alongside the legend that is Bonnie Dobson at the Clyde Theatre in Wales. I have found my musical sister. Our paths were meant to cross.

I will be performing with her again next year at the Liverpool Philharmonic in April. This time, we will be joined by Daria Kulesh. I can’t wait to meet Daria. I also recommend you check her music out too.

What does your Christmas look like? Will you get to spend time with family?

This will be the first year in my life that I won’t see my folks at Christmas. There is normally about twenty of us that get together (I’m one of five kids and we all have children ourselves), but obviously this year is different. We will spend it here at home. I will have to make my first Christmas dinner (eek!). We will still try our very hardest to make it a great Christmas, though. I won’t be able to see my parents until they have had the vaccine. My dad won’t let us near him, so fingers crossed we’ll see them in the spring next year.

There are many new artists emerging that are navigating their way into music. What advice would you give to them?

Keep going. Even when you think things aren’t going your way. If you believe in yourself and you love what you do, keep going!

Finally, you can choose any song you like to end the interview – it can either be one of your tracks or a song you like.

Don’t Give Up - Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush x