Little My (band)

Little My were a twee pop band from Cardiff, Wales that performed live from 10 March 2006 - 10 March 2010. They were well known for the animal ears costumes worn on stage and their chaotic and sometimes shambolic live performances.

History

Little My (named after the annoying Moomin character) formed in 2006 by Harri Davidson by collecting members of other local bands and close friends. Composed of a fluctuating pool of voluntary members, the band eventually settled with 9 core members, with up to 21 additional satellite members at any given performance and over 30 contributors through out its 4 year lifespan.

10 e.p.'s were issued, either by self release or by one of four different record labels (Weepop! Records, Little Pocket Records, Businessman Records, Bubblewrap Records), mysteriously Little My's Fifth remains intrigingly absent from their back catalougue.

The masterplan was to record each song beginning with a different letter of the alphabet then amass these into 2 albums, one with 26 original songs (A-Z), one with 26 cover versions (Z-A).

The band played 55 gigs in total, playing their last ever show, 'Little My's Wake', in Cardiff (UK) on their 4 year anniversary.

The music could easily be slotted into the 'Twee' category - whilst the lyrics often told a different story.

The band were renouned for donning animal ears whilst playing live - with the main singer in full bear costume.

Internet, Television and Radio Appearances

On the 19th December (Harri & Steph form the band's birthday) 2007, the band performed a Christmas session live on Radio 1 Wales for Bethan Elfyn. This saw the band at their biggest to date with 20 members participating in the performance! The band were interviewed and played live versions of, Xmas Song, Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens, All But the Beeps Meep and You're Told You Are. The band were interviewed by Bethan again after their Manchester 'In The City' performance on 20 March 2007, outside the lurid pink shutter of a [...] shop! Possibly the last place you would associate with the band. Harri gave a final interview with Bethan on her show a week prior to their final gig.

In Feb 2009 the band were asked to compose and record a song for The National Museum of Wales in order to promote their RESPOND project, designed to encourage new visitors to their museums. The song 'Panic at the Museum' was written with inspiration from Cardiff National Museum.

The band itself also featured in the Pop Peth exhibition The National Museum of Wales in St Fagans. It's aim was to show the unique relationship between person, music, place and time, and reflect the influence that popular culture has on each and every one of us.

Little My were one of the bands to feature in The Guardian's travel guide section written by Huw Stephens (Radio 1) AbOUT Cardiff, in which Huw himself was filmed going into Spiller's Records and purchasing the latest release by the band - whilst being served by Graf from the band!

They cropped up again in the Drowned In Sound "A City Guide to Cardiff" - written by Ollie Campesinos!

The members of the band have always been great supporters of Spiller's Records in Cardiff - the oldest record shop in the world! As well as performing in the store to celebrate the release of their seventh EP, Little My also played many gigs with every member sporting a Spiller's t-shirt of varying colours - initially in support against it's proposed closure. A further nod towards the amazing record shop was made when the shop front and interior appeared on the cover of their final EP release, Little My's Tenth, complete with a Little My character entering the shop.

Releases

  • Little My's First (2006) - Self Release
  • Little My's Second (2006) - Self Release
  • Little My's Third (2007) - Weepop! Records
  • Little My's Fourth (2007) - Self Release
  •  
  • Little My's Sixth (2008) - Weepop! Records (UK), Little Pocket Records (USA)
  • Little My's Seventh (2008) - Weepop! Records
  • Little My's Eighth (2009) - Businessman Records
  • Little My's Ninth (2010) - Bubblewrap Records
  • Little My's Tenth (2010) - Bubblewrap Records
  • Songs

    A - Z

    Z - A (Cover Versions)

    Christmas Songs

    • All but the Beeps Meep
    • ?To Be Revealed!?
    • Little Donkey
    • Bears in the Air
    • ?To Be Revealed!?
    • Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin' Stevens
    • Cute Guts
    • ?To Be Revealed!?
    • When the Turtle Doves've Flown Away
    • Do You Really Want to Go
    • ?To Be Revealed!?
    • Xmas Song
    • Excuse me, it's Springtime!
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Forever (Not) Yours
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Guess Who
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Heavy, Quite Heavy, Quiet
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • In Isolation Nothing Makes Sense
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Jumpers Back On
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Kicking People on Pavements
    • Strange Shapes by Hornby Pylons

     

    • Leaves Nothing
    • New Slang by The Shins

     

    • Moths
    • Monsterpuss(y) by The Vaselines

     

    • Nicola Ate My Music
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • O-Beans Calculator
    • KKK Took My Baby Away by The Ramones

     

    • Panic at the Museum
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Quiet Times B
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Ruining Things Like Everything
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Sellotape My Hands
    • Heavy Heart by Jeffrey Lewis

     

    • Travelling Light
    • Grandstand Theme

     

    • Upsticks & Carry On
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • V For Five
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Wouldn't You Like to Know
    • Debaser by The Pixies

     

    • X's For Eyes
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • You're Told You Are
    • ?To Be Revealed!?

     

    • Zzzzzzz
  • AM180 by Grandaddy

  •  

    Gigs

    1. 9th march 2010 LITTLE MY'S WAKE - cardiff 10 feet tall : little voice of reason presents = the gentle good & threatmantics
    2. 3rd march 2010 - cardiff UWIC Howard Gardens = the school & oui messy
    3. 18 February 2010 - bristol mother's ruin: offbeat presents = zammo
    4. 4 February 2010 - cardiff zync bar: mojo7 presents = eric unseen
    5. 17 December 2009 - cardiff zync bar: sgr presents = silver gospel runners & samuel h invisible
    6. 27 November 2009 - manchester star & garter: shake it! presents = the school & help stamp out loneliness
    7. 19 November 2009 - bristol mother's ruin: offbeat presents = the school
    8. 1 November 2009 - cardiff buffalo: oxjam fashion show presents = sparky deathcap & yoho!
    9. 8 October 2009 - cardiff buffalo: bethan elfyn presents = young British artists & matt le gryff
    10. 4 October 2009 - newport meze lounge: meze festival presents = 6 day riot, puzzle muteson, men diamler & silver gospel runners
    11. 6 August 2009 - cardiff buffalo: loose & bethan elfyn presents = voluntary butler scheme & lucky delucci
    12. 25 July 2009 - indietracks festival
    13. 23 May 2009 - cardiff tactile bosch: exhibition launch
    14. 26 April 2009 - cardiff buffalo: loose presents = le man avec les lunettes, the afternoons, crayon fields & the motifs
    15. 23 April 2009 - london brixton windmill: fortuna pop! presents = cats on fire & je suis animal
    16. 22nd march 2009 - bristol junction: on the third beat more bang presents = freeze puppy & others ++++!
    17. 5 February 2009 - bristol the croft : off beat presents = poppy and friends & arctic circle
    18. 22 January 2009 - cardiff barfly = voluntary butler scheme & lucky delucci
    19. 9 December 2008 - birmingham hare & hounds - venue 2: bohemian jukebox presents = lime chalks, don't move! & david leach
    20. 21 November 2008 - london the lexington : white light presents = connan mockasin, matthew sawyer and the ghosts & help stamp out loneliness
    21. 19 November 2008 - manchester star & garter : pull yourself together presents = napoleon IIIrd & sir, yes sir
    22. 18 November 2008 - bath st james wine vaults : off beat presents = the blood choir, sun machine, the new root & with love from humans
    23. 17 November 2008 - bristol junction : off beat presents = freeze puppy & bones at the bottom of the barrel
    24. 17 November 2008 - spillers instore : little my's seventh launch
    25. 15 November 2008 - cardiff swn festival : loose alldayer = the boy least likely to, aiden smith, connan mockasin, it hugs back & the new tea party
    26. 10 August 2008 - woodstick festival : wormbeley arena stage = armies of you, the jaynes, silence at sea, spencer mcgarry, broken leaf, the school, gindrinker
    27. 27 July 2008 - indietracks festival : unschedueled set at the acoustic stage
    28. 12 July 2008 - london the fly (secret gig) : popart presents = zebedy rays, probing yanks & hot beds
    29. 12 July 2008 - london hoxton macbeth pub : twee as f**k all day festival = mai 68s, the margarets, mono taxi, esiotrot, the bobby mcGee�s, skip theatre, hatcham social. theoretical girl & comet gain
    30. 22 June 2008 - london camden enterprise : weepop! & lost music present = the just joans, Mexican kids at home and the darlings
    31. 7 June 2008 - birmingham sunflower lounge : the autumn store presents = pete green & lime chalks
    32. 25 May 2008 - hereford jailhouse : underground festival alldayer = many!
    33. 24 May 2008 - cardiff dempsey's : the freakshow & twisted by design presents = spencer mcgarry
    34. 14 April 2008 - cardiff UWIC howard gardens : the family presents = kate goes
    35. 10 April 2008 - cardiff university solus with los campesinos! & lovvers
    36. 13 November 2007 - cardiff buffalo bar : future sounds presents = nina hynes & looker
    37. 20 October 2007 - manchester centro : the fugative motel & elah valley presents: in the city = ir cav, julian donkey-boy, modernaire, the search map, gideon conn, the old house & my side of the mountain
    38. 7 October 2007 - london bloomsbury bowling lanes : pop art presents bowl&sebastian2 = the school, pop art all stars, pocketbooks
    39. 17 September 2007 - cardiff dempsey's : freak show = pagan wanderer lu & cloud atlas plus tiny little my & friends
    40. 30 August 2007 - newport meze lounge : joy presents = fury of the headteachers, fuzz against junk & kimiera
    41. 15 August 2007 - pontypridd clwb y bont : heroes and villains promotions = clutter, hornby pylons & cardboard lung
    42. 25 July 2007 - london clockwork : lost music presents = radio luxemburg, the school & the pocketbooks
    43. 22 June 2007 - cardiff barfly : white noise sound plus the plastercast peacocks
    44. 18th march 2007 - cardiff university - solus : the quench magazine local mixtape = many
    45. 10th march 2007 - cardiff up the stairs in clwb ifor bach : the radio Luxembourg animal themed launch party = radio Luxembourg, & spencer mcgarry season
    46. 28 February 2007 - bristol Louisiana : los campesinos!
    47. 17 February 2007 - cardiff up the stairs in clwb ifor bach : piney gir, the loves & sweet baboo
    48. 13 January 2007 - cardiff barfly : red city & stray borders
    49. 8 January 2007 - cardiff dempsey's : freakshow
    50. 14 December 2006 - cardiff buffalo bar : the kruger magazine Christmas party = autokat, the loungs & the toyband
    51. 26 November 2006 - cardiff up the stairs in clwb ifor bach : the twisted by design showcase gig = (in no particular order) gindrinker, los campesinos!, threatmantics, stray borders, attack+defend, the loves, the wave pictures...and also my little pylons at sea & friends
    52. 27 October 2006 - cardiff down the stairs at clwb ifor bach : the loves ep launch = the loves & the tamborines
    53. 15 September 2006 - cardiff dempsey's : twisted by design = los campesinos!, porchlight & yossarian,
    54. 16 June 2006 - cardiff UWIC Howard Gardens : the loose club 2nd birthday = the wave pictures, the hazey janes, los campesinos!
    55. 10th march 2006 LITTLE MY WAKES - cardiff UWIC Howard Gardens : the first ever gig! = Victorian English gentleman's club & sweet baboo

    Compilation Projects

    The founder of the band (Harri) was also one of the main instigators for two notable compilation releases to come from Cardiff

    'This Town 'Aint Big Enough for the 22 of Us', in collaboration with Twisted By Design, was a celebration of the wealth of talent to coming from the city in 2007.

    '12 Days of Christmas', in collaboration with Bubblewrap Collective, was a concept project which gave 12 bands 1 month to write and record a song based one of the twelve days of Christmas.

    Both CDs went on to receive positive reviews and radio play.

    Other Compilations

    • 'This Town 'Aint Big Enough for the 22 of Us' - Twisted By Design (Sellotape My Hands) (23rd Nov 2007)
    • 'Spring Forward - A Weepop-up Compilation' - Weepop! Records (Jumpers Back On) (Mar 2008)
    • 'A Very Cherry Christmas 4' - Cherryade Records (Xmas Song) (1st Dec 2008)
    • 'Indietracks - An Indiepop Compilation' - Make Do & Mend Records (Ruining Things Like Everything) (1st Jun 2009)
    • '12 Days of Christmas' - Bubblewrap Records (When the Turtle Doves've Flown Away) (1st Dec 2009)