By Andy McFerren
In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, anchorman Ron Burgundy is faced with a decision. After being disgraced on television by a prank gone too far, he must make a difficult choice: report the news of the panda Ling Wong giving birth and save his career as a top-tier news anchor, or save the woman he used to have familiar relations with from being mauled by a sleuth of bears.
The band little image faced an equally (if not more) harrowing decision three and a half years ago. After making music together since they were seventeen years old, the band was coming off their biggest tour to date. They had just released their single, “WORTH IT,” and their gaze was set on the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic, however, had other plans. Not only did it throw a wrench in things, but it threatened their entire livelihood. Most bands who shared a similar level of success as little image didn’t make it through the pandemic—many giving up or falling apart due to the circumstances—but the band was determined to continue their pursuit of making the world a better place through their art.
I had the opportunity to meet up with the band prior to their show at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City on September 7th. We sat in the courtyard just outside the venue to talk about the tour, as well as their journey to get here.
“It was always assumed that we were going to figure out how we were going to make music together,” said bassist and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Walters. “Cause that’s always been our unanimous thing. Like, I don’t want to make music with anyone else.”
“There was a little spark of hope,” said drummer Troy Bruner, speaking of their single “WORTH IT” which was released in January 2020. They took that spark and carried it with them until they could get back in the studio together to add proper kindling. Eventually they fanned the flames into their self-titled album which was released in May of this year.
This album is representative of what little image stands for. True to the band’s name, it touches on themes of how we perceive ourselves through self-image and self-identity, as well as juxtaposing ego against the genuine self. But even after finding success in what for most of the world was the darkest of times, the band remembers to acknowledge how fortunate they are.
“We feel so blessed to be here,” said Troy. “Even to have the album, whether it sees success or not – we did it.”
Luckily for them, the album has resonated with fans, allowing the band to set out on their first headlining tour across the country. I asked them what they want their music to be remembered for. They all agreed that while they want their music to be of a certain quality and reach a certain level of popularity and success, their only goal is to help as many people as they can through their music. And they feel like they’re accomplishing that by impacting people every night on tour—making those connections with their fans and seeing the effect their music has on people in real time, face to face.
“It’s a chance to be vulnerable together,” said Brandon, speaking of each night of the tour. “That’s what we’re about. That’s kind of what the name little image means.” And that’s largely the reason they were so excited to play Kilby Court in Salt Lake City – a venue they called “legendary.”
“This is the most excited I’ve been to play all tour,” said frontman Jackson Simmons. “That room is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”
“The vibe is like Little Rascals meets summer camp,” added Brandon, going on to explain that the band had to run the power cord to their set’s LED panels from the merch booth to avoid blowing a circuit.
But don’t let their humility, artistic ideals, and excitement to play the dilapidated shack we know and love as Kilby Court distract you from the fact that these guys can put on one hell of a show.
Troy brings the energy, hitting the drums like they owe him money—not to mention a drum solo a la Drumline that would give Nick Cannon a run for his money. Jackson captivates the crowd with his charm and dynamic vocals while Brandon holds down the fort doing anything and everything else.
little image’s tour will end on September 26th in Oklahoma City. Following the conclusion of the tour, the band plans to return to the studio to start working on new music.
In the meantime, make sure to follow little image on Instagram. For a deeper dive into the band and their music, check out their cover feature in Modal Music Magazine, now available on the WorldPlus app. You can check out “OUT OF MY MIND” below.