Claire Littley releases soulful track in time for Summer

British dance-pop charmer Claire Littley returns with her latest and possibly smoothest single, “Running Back”.

She’s been compared to George Michael, Lisa Stansfield, and Sade and she’s released five great tracks since last summer, so little wonder there has been much anticipation for this next release to get us grooving into our first summer of love in a long time.

Claire says she “wanted to challenge” herself with something a little different to her first releases and simply have some fun with her music, so she set about writing her first Soulful House track. And we love it! 

Claire’s vocals are warmer than a sunset tea dance and your favorite remixed disco track. “Running Back” features the best of her signature style with the addition of a subtle disco-influenced bass groove, ambient synths and sexy saxophone riffs, creating a soulful chilled-out vibe, perfect for the lead-up to Pride season.

You may recognize Claire as the voice behind the performance of “Fly Me To The Moon” featured on Neon Genesis Evangelion, the hugely successful Japanese anime feature. That is, if you hadn’t already tuned in to her recent tracks, “Bye Bye Girl”, “Moving Too Fast,” and “Change The Game.”

We caught up with Claire for a quick lightning round Q&A:

When you go out, what type of bar or club do you prefer – atmosphere, music, and the patrons?

Claire Littley: Anywhere with a happy vibe will do it for me. I tend to prefer places a little more chilled with music at a level where you can hold a conversation, unless I’m going dancing of course! 

Do you have any plans for summer and Pride?

Claire: I love the summer and warm weather; it’s so rare for us in London! (laughs) …I’ll be making the most of some sun in the breaks between working on my music — this is my priority in terms of my spare time right now. Of course I’ll be going to Pride, there are a bunch of women’s events I want to pop along to for sure.

“Running Back” – this song is quite soft and delicate and chill enough for a stay home party – tell us what inspired this track and what you learned or discovered while making it?

Claire: After I released “Change The Game” in February I decided I wanted to write something a bit different, keep learning new things and challenge myself. I’ve always loved Soulful House, so I thought I’d have a try. I’d also heard some posts by a great female Sax player on Instagram and thought it would be cool to try to write something with a saxophone — it’s such a sexy instrument. This was the first time I’ve used an instrument sample in one of my tracks. I added a bunch of FX and chopped the sax up in various places. I think it works well and adds a great ambience, no? 

We love remixes. What is the key to a good remix, in your opinion?

Claire: Funny you should say that… I connected with two really cool female DJs on Instagram this past year. When I was writing “Running Back” I had the idea of asking them if they’d like to do a remix. I’d gotten to know them a little and thought it would be a cool lil project to work on. They have different styles, are both established in their fields, in different geographical locations from London… and most importantly I could see over time that kindness and humility is important to them. For me a great remix always nods to the original, keeping some essence and soul intact, but the creative expression of the remixer, their own spin and vibe comes through also. I know they will both do an amazing job and hopefully have fun along the way. 

Can you tease the upcoming album at all?

Claire: Even though it’s less than a year since my first release, I’ve built up a stack of songs in the background. Some more finished than others. I’ve played some of the sketches to a few friends and the general consensus has been something along the lines of “Sade vibes” — along with the comparisons to George Michael and Lisa Stansfield as always.

So, imagine super-chilled, soulful, a little jazzy at times. Also I’m thinking about how the songs will transfer to a live environment so trying to keep the arrangements quite minimal. I’m planning to get a few muso friends involved with the production — they will add really valuable experience and a little magic to the final result. I’m impatient and excited to get to the point that I can get out and play the songs live, but everything in its time. 

Follow Claire Littley:

Artist Spotify:
Claire Littley | Spotify

Youtube – Music videos:
Claire Littley – YouTube

Website:
Claire Littley

Instagram:
Claire Littley (@claire_littley)

Facebook:
Claire Littley | Facebook