Amsterdam’s The Klittens share another immediate single in “Reading Material”, the hooky third song to land from their upcoming EP “Butter”, out March 8th.
Following the irresistible “Universal Experience” that landed in the Autumn, a song that saw the band garner significant debut support at both BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6, and the off-kilter melodies of follow-up “Atlas”, “Reading Material” represents the push and pull of trying to appear energetic while there’s little to no energy left internally.
The song was written by guitarist Winnie in a period of extreme illness and fatigue, in which her days would fade into each other. The happy-go-lucky melodies are the foundation for the diary-like lyrics.
Winnie Conradi says of their latest single:
“This song was an attempt to uplift myself and I am happy to say that it did. In these periods of fatigue everything feels shallow – thoughts are short, emotions are stunned. These were the few notes and melodies I could come up with, while hearing the danceable beat that I had set the metronome to.”
The playful character of the song is reminiscent of an earlier release ‘Herkenbosch’. This playfulness is a unifying character of their songs and can be ascribed to their bedroom lo-fi approach to music writing.
Winnie: “I recorded the first version of Reading Material as a complete midi-track in GarageBand, using the inbuilt midi drum pad and synthesizers. This gave it a warm and small feeling, a real bedroom song. In the studio the challenge was how to maintain the warm sound using the band’s instruments. My favorite instrument is the bass guitar so I hid a little bass solo in the end. I played it quite randomly on my laptop keyboard but then Michelle had to translate it in the studio to real life. She did this exceptionally, it’s my favorite part of the song. Laurie may have had the greatest challenge but she did a great job creating a warm, cute but danceable drum sequence.”
Since their inception, The Klittens have climbed out from the cracks of the fervent Amsterdam underground scene and onto some acclaimed stages. Mixing the catchiness of pop and fuzz with the darkness of art-rock and post-punk, they’ve crafted a sound that’s truly and twistedly their own.
What initially began as an outlet for the group, both creatively and politically, mutated into more of a musical life mission for its members. Their DIY approach, from songwriting to booking shows and tour management, is what make The Klittens the ragtag bunch of misfits they are.
Their first release landed last year, with a debut EP “Citrus” receiving international acclaim, solidifying their status through feverish word of mouth as a band on the rise and opening the door to shows with acts such as Alex G and SASAMI, alongside a thrilling full tour with Otoboke Beaver, and their first UK headline dates earlier this year.
