Exclusive Interview with 'CLAIRE LITTLEY'

Many people recognize Claire as the voice behind the rendition of “Fly Me to the Moon” featured on the wildly popular Japanese anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” Frank Sinatra’s version of the song is frequently preferred to her iconic performance of it, which has been streamed hundreds of millions of times online.

After Claire’s partner died in a tragic accident, there was a protracted hiatus in her musical career. She withdrew from music as a result of this, which has had a profound and enduring effect.

She has written enough songs since she began to write about 18 months ago to fill multiple albums. Since August 21, she has released 5 songs, three of which—”Change The Game,” “Bye Bye Girl,” and “Moving Too Fast”—also included the final mix and mastering. Later this year, Claire intends to release an album and perform live. Check out her latest music video & the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: Hello, I’m from London and I had a very loooong break from music for a few reasons. I thought I would have a try at writing my own music in Sept ‘20 and my first release was in August ‘21… So we are coming up to my ‘1 year Anniversary’ :)

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: All self taught – gotta love a YouTube tutorial!

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘CLAIRE LITTLEY’?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: When I was younger I loved the artists from the Motown, Philly, rare groove days… just oozing with soul

Claire Littley is my real name :)

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: I try to write about things that mean something to me and sing with my heart. I hope that there is a ‘truth’ within that that other people feel too. For me creativity and music is ultimately all about how it makes someone feel – the feeling is everything.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Soul / Pop?

**CLAIRE LITTLEY**:
It’s still very early days for me – as I said earlier, only 6 release and coming up to the first year… but there is a very soulful element to my music – it has been described by many as having a George michael x Lisa Stansfield x Sade vibe, super chilled with a cool retro vibe – I’m happy with that!

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: I think, yes, absolutely there is a place for music to comment on all of these things. My songs ‘Moving Too Fast’ and ‘Change The Game’ absolutely touch on some of these narratives. But of course there is also a place for music to simply evoke a mood or feeling with a listener. The balance of both of these things is something I try to do with my writing.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: I absolutely love the creative process of creating a song, i get so much back from this. I lose hours sometimes – then I know that I am ‘in the flow’ – completely engaged, which is incredibly fulfilling and energising. I think if you can find a place in your life where you find yourself in this state as much as possible then other good things will come to you.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: I start with working on my Maschine Mikro and keyboard – simple chords and a vocal idea; normally I just sing whatever comes to mind as I improvise a melody. I’ll have a verse and a chorus idea. Then I add a basic groove to the chords and build the song up from there. I use a similar process to the way I work as a Digital Product Designer. It’s like you start with a sketch maybe, then you start to work on a higher level draft, adding in some color here and there. I make many iterations and save versions as I go so i can always go backwards if I need to. My folder structure is pretty well organized to help with the process. I then spend a lot of time on each instrument tweaking and refining. I’ll also be working on the structure and arrangement alongside a guide vocal that I update as I go along with new more refined melodies and lyrics.

Finally I export the song into Logic Pro to do the final vocals, then backing vocals and mix and mastering.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: Losing someone we love is the hardest thing we experience as human beings. It’s had a big impact on my life and my music.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

CLAIRE LITTLEY: Honestly, every time someone messages me to tell me they love my music that is a highlight for me.

I’m incredibly proud of all that I’ve done with music in the past year. I made my music a priority in my life and I’ve spent a lot of time learning, learning more, then applying and crafting what I’ve learnt… It feels very purposeful and meaningful for me and I hope that it will resonate with other people in this way.