Litesleeper: “Make it groovy first, then make it as weird as possible”

Northampton collective Litesleeper make music that moves somewhere between club euphoria and live-band intimacy — a space where pulsing electronics and raw instrumentation collide. Formed by Gabriel Halford and Dave Crawford in 2023, and later joined by Connor Webb on vocals and guitar, the trio have quickly carved out a sound that’s immersive, rhythmic, and emotionally charged.

Their debut single “Hertz” landed as BBC Introducing’s On Repeat Track of the Week in 2024, followed by the atmospheric “Anubis” earlier this year. But it’s their latest release “Killer” — a hypnotic, percussive track that channels tribal energy and deep rhythmic tension — that captures Litesleeper at full tilt. Paired with a powerful live video performance on YouTube, the single cements their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting new live electronic acts.

Ahead of their upcoming shows at The Lab (Dec 7) and The Garibaldi (Dec 27) in Northampton, Litesleeper spoke about finding the sweet spot between organic and electronic, embracing imperfection, and the art of making things “weird within the groove.”

1. Your sound sits somewhere between club euphoria and live-band intimacy. How do you balance electronic production with the organic energy of live instruments when you’re writing or performing?

It’s never really a balance we’re chasing, more like the two things we love about music being sewn together. We all started out just playing live — guitars, drums, whatever — and then started producing as another way of getting ideas out. It’s got to have that same feeling as when you start digging for music and you find something where you just want to hear what else this artist(s) have come up with too. When it works, it feels right, and part of that process is with the live shows are where you find out what survives that collision.

2. Killer feels like a real evolution for Litesleeper — hypnotic, percussive, and almost tribal. What was the starting point for that track, and what story or feeling were you chasing in the studio?

It began with that vocal thing looping away which could go anywhere, and then we added the taiko drums which have got this ancient, physical weight that keep marching forward. The idea was to keep it shifting just enough so it never settles. You think you’ve understood it, and then it moves again.

3. You’ve said, “Make it groovy first then make it as weird as possible.” How does that philosophy shape your creative process, and how far do you push the weird?

The groove is the anchor — once that’s there, you can twist everything else out of shape. The “weird” bits aren’t about being clever, they’re about creating tension, little moments where your brain tilts. It’s more fun to sneak those things in rather than wave them around. We try and hide them under the surface so they reveal themselves slowly.

4. Your influences span Caribou, Young Fathers, Radiohead, and Bicep — artists who all blur boundaries. What have you taken from them in terms of sound or approach, and how do you make it distinctly Litesleeper?

Those artists always want to go somewhere new and uncharted when they’re putting music out, or at least it feels like that to us. We like artists that let imperfection through; and kind of celebrate it, the cracks are part of it. We try to let the instruments misbehave a bit, let accidents become part of the design. Then you don’t want to polish it too much to keep that feel there. There’s that Michelangelo quote, “carving is easy, you just get to the skin and stop”, nuff said.

5. From Hertz being BBC Introducing’s “On Repeat Track of the Week” to the Killer live video, you’ve built a lot of momentum. What’s next for Litesleeper — new music, collaborations, or live plans for 2026?

There’s a pile of things waiting to see finally daylight that we’re really excited about. Some new collaborations, some familiar faces returning. The next track (out in December) is called Rumble which starts with Connor’s voice, slowly builds momentum and then drops into a deep beat with loads of textures flying about, maybe a sign of where we’re heading. We’ve been filming and recording bits of the live setup too; it’s been great capturing that energy on video. And there are some shows coming up — The Lab in Northampton on December 7th, then The Garibaldi on December 27th. We’ll see what shape it all takes by then.