From Starting a New Musical Project and Parting With The Mowgli’s, Dealing With Quarantine Life and Writing New Music, LITTLE HURT Breaks It All Down!

Little Hurt is the new music act from The Mowgli’s ex-singer/guitarist, Colin Dieden. His newest single is entitled “Alaska” and it’s a breezy, bright and bouncy track. It gets a featured slot on the just released “Now That’s What I Call Music! 74” compilation as a “What’s Next’ artist. The song is also being supported by an aggressive social media campaign to drive awareness to old and new fans alike.
Speaking to the inspiration for the song, Dieden says: ‘Alaska’ was the second song I wrote after starting Little Hurt. It came from a deep desire to separate myself from some aspects of my past that I found painful. That feeling of wanting to throw away everything you’ve ever known and start again”.
He continues “The concept first came to me while eating in San Francisco (as mentioned in the song) surrounded by friends, and realizing how alone I felt. I set that against some music that feels a bit happy because, well, that makes it all a lot more fun for everyone else!”
As Little Hurt, Dieden handles tougher emotional topics by setting them to an Alt.Pop backdrop. On “Alaska” he uses handclaps, Latin-inspired horns, bombastic bass, and shimmering guitars before the admission, “I think I’ll dye my hair and move to Alaska—last couple of months have been kind of a disaster.”
“Alaska” is part of an upcoming EP to be released later this year, and is the follow-on track for “Better Drugs” which continues to grow at Alternative radio. “Better Drugs” also continues to grow on all streaming services, passing the 200,000 streams mark this week with a 15% increase at Pandora, in particular.
Little Hurt plans to start touring to support the music once it’s safe to do so again, with mid-summer tour dates now being explored. Showing wisdom beyond his years, Dieden finishes by adding: “When you hear this music, I want you to feel like you’re not the only crazy person in the world. It’s normal to go through anxiety and depression, especially during these chaotic times. I want to let everyone know they’re not alone. We’re all a Little Hurt, and it’s okay.”
Connect With Little Hurt Here:
Smart URL: https://orcd.co/alaska
Official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/littlehurtofficial/
Official Twitter account: https://twitter.com/littlehurt
Official Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHphgwRyTjae_GAG957nLcw
Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlehurtofficial/
Tik Tok: @littlehurtofficial
Learn more about Little Hurt in the following All Access interview:
Thank you for your time. So given these unusual Covid-19 times, what does a typical day look like for you? How have you adjusted to these times?
At first it really felt like the world had come to a halt and I didn’t do much besides sit at home and watch the news trying to figure out what was going to happen next, but I think like with everything- I got used to it.
What has been the hardest/most challenging part about being quarantined? How has it been for you, living here in Los Angeles – have you started going out again?
The most difficult thing for me initially was writing. There’s just something about “Unprecedented Global Pandemic” that isn’t particularly inspiring or sexy to me. Doesn’t have a great ring to it. I haven’t been going out to bars or restaurants yet but I have started writing with my little core group of friends again and that has been nice.
What has it been like having to reschedule so many of your spring, summer and most likely fall shows? What shows in 2021 are you are already excited for?
It’s actually been really sad for me personally – because I went and launched this brand new project and had Summerfest and all these other cool festivals lined up and then we just kinda got shot out of the air. That being said, everyone is going through this same thing and I definitely recognize that I am not alone in this feeling.
Since we are all desperately missing live music, can you recall a favorite show of yours from the past? What do you think ultimately makes for a great show for this band?
I only played a couple shows as Little Hurt before the quarantine went into effect, but I played thousands as the singer & guitarist of The Mowgli’s and Lollapalooza always sticks out as a real fun one. I always put a large emphasis on inclusiveness at my shows. Having my fans feel like their part of something – no corny “Rock Star” stuff.
How did you come up with your name, Little Hurt?
I cycled through so many different ideas for names but nothing really felt right. “Little Hurt” was my nickname in little league baseball when I was a kid and I really thought it captured the sort of sepia-toned nostalgia that this project leans into heavily. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized “Yep – this is it!”
What has it been like transitioning to this new musical project and out of The Mowgli’s?
It was scary at first, for sure. I didn’t know if the fans were gonna come with me on this journey. I didn’t know if anyone was going to care. But they do, in a way I never had felt before. My fan-base now is much bigger, more active and more united than it ever was. I really feel lucky and humbled.

Let’s talk about your newest track, “Alaska” What was the inspiration for this single? How do you think it prepares listeners for your upcoming EP? What about your song, “Better Drugs“?
“Alaska” is about that feeling of just wanting to start over somewhere else. Somewhere that no one knows you, a truly fresh start. I think it’s a sentiment we are all familiar with, which may be why the song is reacting so well at the moment. “Better Drugs” was the first song I ever wrote for Little Hurt and I think that was me showing more of my serious side, where as with “Alaska” I think it’s a bit more fun – just right for summer. More of what people are used to from me.
How did you feel about “Alaska” being featured on the NOW 74 compilation?
That was one of those childhood-dream-come-true things. I, along with a lot of others, grew up on those records! I was really honored to be a part of that.
Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future? What musicians have been consistently inspiring you and your music?
I’ve always wanted to work with Julia Michaels. I’m just in awe of her melody game. I’ve been inspired by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young for my whole life, for sure.
What would your dream music video look like?
I’ve never really thought about it but that’s a good question. First thing that comes to mind is doing something funny on a sailboat with some kind of coordinated dance sequence. 🙂
How do you think future music is going to be influenced by this incredible and absolutely necessary Black Lives Matter movement that the US and even the world is going through now? Is it inspiring you and your music today?
I think that this movement is going to empower people to write about racial issues in a way we’ve never really seen in mainstream music. It opens us up to this entirely new conversation within our art. It’s really inspiring and exciting and I cannot wait to hear what everyone has created through this time.