For Dallas trio little image, the music is only part of the picture. Coming off a nearly sold-out U.S. headline tour, the band brings its songs to life through massive visuals, immersive lighting, and a show shaped partly by having a lighting designer within its own ranks. As frontman Jackson Simmons tells us, though, building a world is just as much about the people in the room: “The music feels like the thing that brings people together, and all the moments in between are what create a world for us.”
Following their 2023 major label debut SELF TITLED and breakout single “OUT OF MY MIND,” Simmons, Brandon Walters, and Troy Bruner returned with KILL THE GHOST, released earlier this year via Hollywood Records. The album finds them reconnecting with their guitar-driven roots while working through anxiety, self-doubt, and growth. Its deluxe edition brings that story into its final form, with the cinematic “THE NARCOLEPTIC” capturing someone losing control behind the wheel as they reflect on the turns their life could have taken.
We caught up with Simmons to talk about revisiting their roots, the rabbit at the center of the album’s visual world, and finding reasons to stay hopeful. We also got into why live music feels especially real right now.
We’ve been spending some time with KILL THE GHOST, and one theme that keeps coming through is growth. Was there a specific moment that made you realize this was the record you needed to make?
Maybe not a specific moment. It just felt like the whole process was a lot of growing, and it really naturally just became the theme for what we were making.
The deluxe edition arrives only a few months after the original release. Why did now feel like the right time to revisit the album?
We had been sitting on the song THE NARCOLEPTIC, which is on the deluxe album. I think, if I’m being honest, we were just really excited to get that song out, haha. Three months after the record felt like long enough to wait to let that one out.
Were the new songs included on the deluxe edition written during the original KILL THE GHOST sessions, or did they come afterward? How did you decide they belonged with this record instead of becoming something entirely new?
Yes, actually. In fact, I believe THE NARCOLEPTIC was very early in the writing process. Originally, THE RABBIT was meant to be on the deluxe instead of THAT’S LIFE, but when we realized that THE RABBIT represented the whole theme of the album, we put it on the original release.
How do these new songs deepen or expand the story of KILL THE GHOST?
It feels like the final period at the end of it all. Sonically, THE NARCOLEPTIC felt like the final chapter to everything. It felt like it kinda tied everything together for me. That one is arguably my favorite from this album. It’s always felt really special to me.
Did putting together the deluxe edition change the way you think about the original album?
I wouldn’t say so. It just feels like it’s in its final form now, which is awesome, but we spent so much time figuring out the pacing of the album with song order, and the original still feels so amazing to me, especially on vinyl.
“Live music. I feel strongly it’s gonna be one of the things we all latch onto if things go south with all this AI bullshit.”
— Jackson Simmons
“THE NARCOLEPTIC” feels incredibly cinematic. What’s the story behind that song, and why did it feel like the right focus track for the deluxe edition?
We wanted to paint this visual of someone basically losing control and reflecting on all the ways things could’ve gone differently in their journey, but it’s all happening behind the wheel. Throughout the album, we felt a lot of those moments of panic in the process. It felt like a good way to let go of some of that.
The album cover for both versions is fantastic. How did the rabbit concept come to life, and what does it represent within the world of the album?
The rabbit represents the magic we were in pursuit of during the making of this album. It always felt like the common thread of the whole world we wanted to build.
Looking back over the last decade together, when did you first feel like little image had found its own voice?
We’re always trying to find it. Not sure if we’ve had that monumental of a moment yet. Still feels like there’s a lot to be written!
You’re from Dallas, Texas. How has the city inspired you over the years? Does Texas still find its way into your music today?
We are very proud to be from Texas. We grew up playing all the local venues in Dallas, and it will always be home and have such a special place in our hearts. It’s interesting ’cause the new stuff we’ve been working on, post–KILL THE GHOST, has been a lot of going back to our roots. Been very cool to reflect on where we come from and chase some of the sounds that we found when we were kids. Excited to share at some point.
You’ve talked about wanting little image to feel like a world people can step into rather than just a band people listen to. What makes a band feel like a world to you?
I think whenever a band or artist can create a culture of safety and welcomeness to any and all people through their art, there’s something just so much bigger about that than some people up there playing music. The music feels like the thing that brings people together, and all the moments in between are what create a world for us.
Your songs often wrestle with anxiety, self-doubt, and identity, but they rarely end in hopelessness. Do you consciously try to leave listeners with a sense of optimism, or does that happen naturally?
I think that sentiment of optimism is just how we look at the world. There seems to be a necessary reframing of how we look at the world. Everything always feels so hopeless. We can’t even open our phones anymore without seeing something totally insane. I feel like we naturally lean towards our instincts of striving to be hopeful a lot of times in our music.
What was the biggest creative risk you took while making KILL THE GHOST?
Probably going back to some of our roots a bit, trying to tap back into whatever magic we were finding a long time ago while also taking what we’ve learned and applying it. We got so obsessed with synths on SELF TITLED, and going back to trying to write more guitar-driven music felt a little unsettling in an exciting way.
You’ve toured with artists like Panic! At The Disco, Joywave, Bad Suns, and almost monday. What’s one thing you’ve picked up from another band’s approach to touring that you’ve carried into little image?
Just treat your people with respect and kindness and take care of them. Everyone’s crammed in a van or a bus together, and it makes the experience so much more life-giving when everyone feels comfortable. We’ve seen nothing but that from all those bands. Great examples of how you should treat your tour family.
In a world that can feel increasingly artificial, what’s feeling real to you right now?
Live music. I feel strongly it’s gonna be one of the things we all latch onto if things go south with all this AI bullshit.
Finally, we’d love to end with a Good Call. What’s one recommendation you’d give our readers right now? It could be a new artist, an album, a film, a book, a place, or anything else you’ve been excited to share.
My favorite band right now is In Color. They’re also close friends of ours, and it’s just so awesome seeing them rise. Romance by Fontaines D.C. has consistently been my go-to album since it came out. I really enjoyed this movie recently called I Could Never Be Your Woman. I am a sucker for a romcom. The War of Art has been a game changer of a book for me. Can’t recommend it enough. Prague, Czech Republic, is the greatest place I’ve ever been to, and if you can find a reason to go, you absolutely should. Can’t wait to go back!
Live Photo: Broc Ingold
Follow little image on Instagram at @littleimage
little image - KILL THE GHOST
