Baton Rouge-based futurist R&B group Little Goliath will take the stage at The Spanish Moon at 9 p.m. this Friday. Two of the three band members were former members of electronic dance music act High Top Kicks. Little Goliath singer/instrumentalist Gabriel Saint described the band’s sound as “more of a personal, melodically soothing and R&B vibe” than the duo’s previous project.
Saint cited The Weeknd, James Blake and The Glitch Mob as the band’s guiding influences. It has a twenty-minute-long EP titled “Demo” on its SoundCloud page, which echoes such modern R&B producers and singers as Jeremih, Shlohmo and The Weeknd.
Little Goliath comprises singer/instrumentalist Brent Armstrong, who Saint called the “mastermind of cohesiveness” and who renders the harmonies, while Saint does the majority of the songwriting and vocal work and Josh Nee adds additional drums and guitar.
The band’s name originated from an idea that the “big man” isn’t exactly large in real life and that juxtaposition of the two words evoke both strength and adorability. To support this, the band’s website features a World Wildlife Fund-esque panda sporting a skull for its head.
“The panda bear cover was something I put together,” Saint said. “Again, like the name, I wanted something strong and adorable. We are huge animal lovers and borrowing the image of an endangered species with a skull mask on had the right feel.”
He said he adores playing at The Spanish Moon, and he is thankful to have friends, family and fans to support the shows he has played there. Saint said that he is humbled by the amount of talented visual artists and other musicians he has played with at The Spanish Moon.
Little Goliath still has to face the big Goliaths when it comes to getting signed. Saint said he released a few albums under different labels when he was working with High Top Kicks. However, Saint doesn’t have any plans to sign Little Goliath in the near future and said making music with the band is more of a carthartic release than a means of living.
The doors for Friday’s show will open at 9 p.m., and tickets are $5 online and $7 at the door. There will also be an art show in the venue, showcasing several Baton Rouge artists.