Introducing Little Quirks, the family folk band putting out a new EP, Cover My Eyes

Header image by Al Parkinson.

We're admittedly not too deep into the indie-folk realm beyond the West Australian side of things, but we're told Little Quirks are an outfit leading a fresh new wave of the genre into the Australian market, and scoping out their past work and the stuff they're putting out today makes this believable as hell. Since forming in 2015, the trio - made up of sisters Abbey and Mia Toole alongside their cousin Jaymi Toole - have steadily built themselves a name as a promise-filled new force amongst Australia's country-indie-pop realm, doing so with their debut EP (2016's Where We Hide) and a string of singles that have come out since.

Today, however, we're talking about the release of their third EP Cover My Eyes, a collection of five tracks that bring the trio into a new decade, riding the country-pop wave that's had somewhat of a crossover commercial moment thanks to the runaway success of musicians like Kacey Musgraves in the public eye. It's a charming package that shows continued growth from the group both as lyricists and instrumentalists; strong harmonies uniting amongst the slow-burning slurry of guitar work and percussion that always keeps everything in motion.

It's an EP that doesn't veer too far away from what should be expected from a band like Little Quirks, but its incorporation of a couple of little mannerisms unseen by the group in the past - the heavier emphasis on pop harmonies, the slight indie crunch that punches through the EP's grittier moments - shows that there's plenty of room to move and experiment within the band, and as their career draws longer, it's something they're toying with more and more.

Cover My Eyes is out today, so dive into it below while you introduce yourself to the rising names at the same time - there's something really great here.

Tell us about yourself?

We are a family folk band from the central coast NSW made of sisters Abbey and Mia and our cousins Jaymi and Alex. We started off as buskers playing around the central coast when Mia was only 10 years old! From then we’ve had the opportunity to travel around Australia playing festivals and supporting some awesome acts. 

What’s the vibe music-wise?

We grew up in a musical family surrounded by many different influences. From The Beatles to The Cranberries to Mumford and Sons and so many more, our music is definitely a combination but we call our vibe indie-folk. 

What are your production and writing processes like?

Jaymi and I are the main writers of little quirks and we both write very differently so the writing process is very much a mixture. 

After either of us are happy with what we’ve got, the band comes together and each put our little spin on the song and make it ‘Little Quirksy’.

For production, we are lucky enough to have our own studio down the back of our house. After we write a new song we go down and record a demo and with our talented dads, we put all the ideas together. 

Can you tell us about your new EP, Cover My Eyes?

We are so excited to announce our new EP Cover My Eyes. We have all put so much into this EP and are so proud with how it’s all come together. It’s entangled in stories, harmonies and driving rhythms. We can’t wait for everyone to finally hear! 

Any tour dates coming up?

We have just announced a big tour which includes headline shows in VIC and NSW as well as some amazing festival spots at Tamworth Country Music Festival (this weekend!) and the National Folk Festival. 

What does 2020 have in store for you?

Lots of touring, writing and new songs! We hope to tour internationally and release even more new music at the end of the year. 

Where can we find more of your music?

You can find all the latest updates on Facebook under Little Quirks and Instagram under @little_quirks_band.

You can also listen to our music via any streaming service! 

Tour Dates: 

25 & 26 January - The Tamworth - Tamworth Country Music Festival
8 February - Love Lanes Festival, Wyong
14 February - Courtyard Sessions, Sydney
28 February - The Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
29 February - Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne
14 March - The Rhythm Hut, Gosford
15 March - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
27 March - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney
9-13 April - National Folk Festival, Canberra
19 April - Scotts Head Festival, Scotts Head

Follow Little Quirks: FACEBOOK