Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Colin Dieden had all but forgotten his childhood nickname “Little Hurt” until one night, when he felt a strong pull to fulfill the name once again. Not on the baseball field, like he did growing up in Kansas City, but in the studio and on stage as the moniker for his solo project, Little Hurt.
“It’s part of my past, so it felt right for the future. I’m just a kid from Kansas who’s a little hurt,” Dieden says.
In addition to his nearly decade long run as frontman and lead vocalist for The Mowgli’s, Dieden has also written for television shows and films, such as: Sirens, Batwoman, Shameless, Little Big Shots, Reef Break, Telenovela, Gainesville, Big City Greens, and numerous shows for ESPN and MTV.
With the blessing of his bandmates and friends in The Mowlgi’s, Dieden set out to share parts of himself like never before in 2019, when he began to work solo on Little Hurt, his most honest and vulnerable project yet.
“I wanted to tell a story that was entirely my own,” he explains. “There were things I needed to say by myself. I started writing about who I am and my life totally unfiltered. I’ve dealt with a lot of issues. I’ve got a complicated head and can be my own worst enemy. Anxiety is something I’ve battled forever, so I built a place to deal with these heavier subjects, such as the struggle with depression. I’m not always the happy guy, but I’m happy opening up like I have here.”
With influences such as Jack Kerouac; Louis the Child; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Major Lazer; The National; and The Smiths, Dieden has curated a style which blurs the line between alternative and pop. Dieden has referred to his own unique style as “depression pop,” due to his tendency to pair upbeat music with darker-themed lyrics.
His most recent single, “Buttercup,” illustrates his dichotomous lyrical style perfectly.
“You’re probably tired of these conversations
-“Buttercup” by Little Hurt
I’d be sick of me if I was you
The fireworks would fly if we could make it to July
But it’s a nightmare and it’s only June”
“This [“Buttercup”] was one of those songs that I knew would be a single the second we finished the chorus. It hits everything I try to accomplish with the music I release: Telling a sad story in a way that can make you smile, sort of like looking back at an old photo,” Dieden says. “This is one of the songs I’m definitely most excited about releasing since I started Little Hurt”.
Be sure to check out “Buttercup,” which was released earlier this month below!
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