“A well-made song can bring on a pause. A brilliant song brings all of life to a stop,” Okayplayer writes of
Son Little’s latest single “Lay Down.” And with the song, the Philadelphia-bred songwriter does just that, conjuring hours in the arms of a lover as the chaos, text alerts and distractions clamor outside unnoticed. “I wrote this song lying in bed with my lady, listening to the tea kettle whistle,”
Son Little explains. “I think about how complicated our lives are, all the ones and zeros distract us from what we really need and want. Sometimes I just want to take your love and hide.”
You can now view the new video for
Son Little’s song “Lay Down” care of Vibe. The clip offers a series of romantic and evocative images in the form of a couple’s dream like country outing, either real or remembered. It is the perfect cinematic accompaniment for this soulful intensely intimate song.
Watch
Son Little's new video for "Lay Down"
via VIBE
It’s been a remarkable year for
Son Little. He has toured with the likes of Kelis and Mumford and Sons, produced an EP for the legendary Mavis Staples, played the Bonnaroo Festival and made his national television debut on CBS This Morning, Saturday. All that and it’s just the beginning.
His titled self debut album, out October 16th, is, in its purest form, American music. The artist formerly known as Aaron Livingston knows his nation and its sounds well. Born to a preacher and a teacher in Los Angeles, where he learned how to listen and how to play before moving east to New York and New Jersey. He dropped in and out of schools and scenes in Manhattan then Philadelphia, and there he collaborated with acts like The Roots and RJD2. He first planted his flag as Son Little with last year’s highly praised EP,
Things I Forgot, a small collection of big songs that showcased his ability to hop across genres as well as he does state lines.
The songs on the full length
Son Little follow suit. They teem with small moments creating a bigger picture, a pointillist art piece made from junkyards and viewed from space. Pulling inspiration from the color wheel diaspora of American music,
Son Little draws from a deep well, using different buckets to visit and revisit, finding flourishes to add to the core of his songs. There, at the end of “Doctor’s In,” is a roving banjo; there, at the start of “Go Blue Blood Red,” is a keyboard riff culled from a kid’s Blue Man Group keyboard; there, in “Carbon,” is an electric Howlin’ Wolf stomp and start. For Son Little, studio time is a joy, where every good idea leads to four more.
Son Little Tour Dates
Sep 29 The Orange Peel w/ Lord Huron Asheville, NC
Sep 30 40 Watt Club w/ Lord Huron Athens,GA
Oct 02 Austin City Limits Austin, TX
Oct 07 San Jose Hotel Austin,TX
Oct 08 San Jose Hotel Austin, TX
Oct 09 Austin City Limits Austin, TX
Oct 10 Lambert's w. Lanze Pierce Austin, TX
Oct 18 Crescent City Blues & BBQ Fest New Orleans, LA
Oct 31 The Drake Toronto, Canada
Nov 02 Schubas Chicago,IL
Nov 03 7th St. Entry Minneapolis,MN
Nov 04 The Village Theater Davenport, IA
Nov 05 Zanzabar Louisville,KY
Nov 06 The Bishop Bloomington, IN
Nov 07 The High Watt Nashville,TN
Nov 09 DC9 Washington,DC
Nov 11 Middle East - Upstairs Cambridge,MA
Nov 12 Baby's All Right Brooklyn, NY
Nov 13 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia,PA
Nov 29 The Wiltern w/ Foals Los Angeles,CA