If the rise of genre-less music has a face, it might just be the grinning duo of John and Kevin Shields—better known as Little Stranger. Equal parts psychedelic hip-hop, party-starting indie, and ska-adjacent mischief, the South Carolina-based brothers (not by blood, but by beer and beats) are about to take another massive leap forward. They’re gearing up for a national tour with Slightly Stoopid and, in true Little Stranger fashion, they’re planning it with all the chaos, charm, and curveballs their fans have come to expect.
“We do not have our set figured out,” John admits during our interview (which you can watch below). “We’ll probably figure it out an hour before we play.” For a band that thrives on spontaneity and high-energy improvisation, the chaos is part of the thrill. “Me and Kev look at it, piece it together… and there’s usually some curveballs along the way during the set.”
Their laid-back approach belies the level of precision in their sonic fusion. With influences ranging from A Tribe Called Quest to Sublime, the duo occupies a weird, wonderful middle ground between hip-hop and the ever-evolving reggae-rock world. “It’s a perfect match,” Kevin explains. “Especially the style of hip-hop we do… more old-school, Tribe Quest-type stuff. A lot of these fans are also old-school hip-hop fans.”
It’s that openness — and their fearless sound — that’s earned them a place on one of the summer’s biggest tours. “Another great summer of shows with some of the coolest bands,” John beams. “We haven’t had the proper hang with Stoopid yet, but I heard they really throw it down backstage. We’re ready to take whatever they throw our way.”
Whatever includes… pickleball? “They said they’re bringing pickleball,” Kevin laughs. “My back pain feels like a guy who should play pickleball. I’m gonna have knee braces, ankle braces — everything on.”
But the bond between music and motion goes deeper. “I bought us both a bow and arrow for Christmas,” Kevin says. “It’s becoming my zen area.” Adds John: “Mostly archery. And then when we have time — aside from the archery — we’ll try to make new songs.”
Despite the laid-back aesthetic, Little Stranger isn’t phoning it in. Their live show has evolved, thanks to the addition of horns and backing vocals. “We didn’t want to lose the two-piece thing,” John says. “So instead of adding drums and bass, we were like, ‘Horn section and backup vocals would be cool.’” The move has paid off. “The horn section has added so much to the live show,” Kevin notes.
And the summer might hold more than just tour stops and pickleball victories. “We sent a feature verse in like a month ago on a Slightly Stoopid song,” Kevin reveals. “I don’t know when it’s coming out, but hopefully we’ll be featured on their next record. That would be amazing.”
As they gear up for a busy season, the brothers of beatboxing mayhem are focused on just one thing: “Trying to make music that we like,” John says. “That feels good.”
And that’s the thing about Little Stranger — they make it all look easy, but it’s built on years of evolution, brotherhood, and a willingness to take the unexpected route. Even if that means bringing archery to the tour bus.
Interview by Jenna Shaw
Video by Jeff Pliskin @RaisedFistPropaganda
