Ears Wide Open: Little Hurt

Kevin Bronson on September 20th, 2019

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“Maybe this is just as good as it gets,” Colin Dieden sings in his first single as Little Hurt. On the surface, that’s a bummer, yet as he whistles his way through a litany of shortcomings, it’s evident that “As Good As It Gets” is determined to do what any self-respecting alt-pop song does: turn a downer into a candy-coated bromide.

Dieden is the former frontman of the Mowgli’s, whose four-album, three-EP catalog is deep in catchy musical pep talks. Dieden, a Kansas City native who co-founded the band back in 2010, embarked on his new project in a quest for artistic freedom. “With Little Hurt I am jumping off the deep end artistically and emotionally and saying things I’ve never said in my songs before,” he explains. “I am letting people inside in a way that I’ve always been afraid to before. On some level I’m learning about myself as this progresses the same way the listener is.”

There’s a Little Hurt EP on the way in the new year, and the vibe does not figure to deviate much from the Mowgli’s. The single was produced by Rob Ellmore (aka Ruffian), who helmed the Mowgli’s 2018 and ’19 EPs. In other words, it’s salve for bad times.

“When you hear this music, I want you to feel like you’re not the only crazy person in the world,” says Little Hurt. “It’s normal to go through anxiety and depression. I want to let everyone know they’re not alone. We’re all a Little Hurt, and it’s okay.”

||| Stream: “As Good As It Gets”