Artist to Watch: Little Scream

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by Altwire Staff

(Photo courtesy of Little Scream’s Facebook Page)

Laurel Sprengelmeyer, better known by her stage name Little Scream, is set to be the next indie darling. Sprengelmeyer get her start in the music industry by working as a backing vocalist on The Nationalโ€™s 2008 album High Violet. Her debut album, 2011โ€™s The Golden Record, received a rating of 8.1 from the notoriously critical Pitchfork, and was on the longlist for Canadaโ€™s Polaris Prize. The Golden Record saw collaborations from Arcade Fireโ€™s Richard Reed Parry, who co-produced the record, as well as his bandmate Sarah Neufeld, The Nationalโ€™s Aaron Dessner, and Silver Mt. Zionโ€™s Rebecca Foon.

ย  ย  Five years later, Little Scream is signed to Merge Records (Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel, Conor Oberst) and managed by Zeitgeist (Death Cab for Cutie, Best Coast). Having just come off tour with fellow Zeitgeist act Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, Sprengelmeyer is preparing to release Little Screamโ€™s sophomore album, Cult Following, on May 6. Cult Following will see Sprengelmeyer working with even more celebrity collaborations.

ย  ย  The 12-track album will include appearances from Sufjan Stevens, Aaron and Bryce Dessner (The National), Owen Pallett (Arcade Fire, Final Fantasy), Sharon Van Etten, Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), and Mary Margaret Oโ€™ Hara. Richard Reed Parry is once again credited on the album, this time as Sprengelmeyerโ€™s โ€œcreative partnerโ€.

Despite these all-star guest appearances, Sprengelmeyer holds her own where it matters most: her music. Cult Following has seen four singles so far leading up to itโ€™s release next week, and each single explores a different side to Sprengelmeyerโ€™s blend of top 40 pop and her roots in the experimental/art rock world. First single โ€œLove as a Weaponโ€ occupies a space between Ingrid Michaelson and St. Vincent, with a vocal melody and beat so simple and infectious that itโ€™s impossible not to get into it.

โ€œSomeone Will Noticeโ€ is a lush track in the vein of Broken Social Scene that was inspired by Amanda Todd and the many other victims of depression and bullying. โ€œThe Kissingโ€ features Kyp Maloneโ€™s guest appearance as well as waves of guitar riffs.ย The fourth and latest single โ€œDark Danceโ€ is a glistening effort that manages to marry the pop sensibility of โ€œLove as a Weaponโ€ with the lo-fi vibe of โ€œSomeone Will Noticeโ€. The big names attached to Cult Following and Little Scream will give Sprengelmeyerโ€™s project the attention it deserves, but her achievements and talent are enough to turn her into the next mainstream crossover.
Little Screamโ€™s next album, Cult Following, will be released on May 6. Check out the leading singles from Cult Following and her debut album The Golden Record below!

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