Need to Know: Little Dragon

Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, Little Dragon dominates the stage with their chillwave sound and the mesmerizing black-and-white pop art visuals on their clothes and backdrops. We caught up with the band, which recently embarked on yet another world tour, to chat about their collaboration with Gorillaz, dreaming of teaming up with Prince, and why their best remixes are their own.

Out: What was the most recent stop on the tour for you?
Yukimi Nagano: I came from Chicago. But [the rest of the band] all came from Sweden.
Erik Bodin: Yes. Sweden.

Are you all still living in Sweden?
Nagano: Yes.

Do you prefer touring in your Sweden or the U.S.?
Bodin: U.S.

Really? Why?
Bodin: The crowd and the vibe. People are good at showing up here.

Little Dragon is played a lot when I'm in the yoga studio --
Nagano: Really?

Where would you ideally like to hear your music?
Bodin: Yoga is pretty good. I'm going with yoga.
Nagano: Totally! Actually, we all like yoga. But, also, the club would be nice' or maybe hearing it over someone's headphones.

You're all high school friends?
Bodin: We climbed out of the jungle to meet each other. Yeah, we knew each other. We were also introduced. Sweden is so small in a way. I didn't know that the others knew each other originally.

You were in a reggae band originally. Do you bring those influences to Little Dragon?
Bodin: Maybe a bit.

But you guys collaborate a lot. Like with Gorillaz and Hird --
Bodin: Hird is a really old friend from high school. At that time Little Dragon wasn't really a thing.
Nagano: We were playing together but didn't have a name. Hird was a long time ago.

But Gorillaz is new! And that song has really taken off.
Nagano: Thanks!

Do you think it's important to collaborate as musicians?
Nagano: Not necessarily. If it's something you are feeling and vibing and you have a connection with, then it's worth it. Otherwise, I think it's pretty cool to stick to your own thing.
Fredrik K'llgren Wallin: It can be a compromise sometimes. Sometimes collaborations can turn out bad.

What is your song writing process?
K'llgren Wallin: It's mutual.
Nagano: All the guys write and produce and I do vocals.

What about remixes? Do your friends mostly do it?
Nagano: I do some remixes of our own songs. Remixes are really fun. Some of them are some of the best remixes we have! I think we are all planning on doing remixes, definitely. But anyone who can do one, go right ahead! It's fun to hear someone else's interpretation. Whether it gets released or not is a different thing.

Do you have any favorite acts you've played with?
Nagano: TV on the Radio was fun!

What about anyone you would like to worth with currently?
K'llgren Wallin: Night Jewel. I really love them.
Nagano: We like Prince!

Hell, I would like to collaborate with Prince!
Nagano: We wouldn't even care if the music were even good. He is the only compromise.

For more on Little Dragon, including a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit their official website.

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