I wasn't trying to reinvent it. I just sat down and played it the way it felt that day. There's something beautiful about not overthinking it.
—Alan Hampton
Alan Hampton's “Little White Lies"—Pasadena Studio Session Captures Spontaneous Take on American Song
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer Alan Hampton returns with a new single: a stripped-down, heartfelt rendition of the 1930 American song “Little White Lies." Recorded in a single sitting at his Pasadena studio, Hampton performed the song in two live takes—guitar and vocals, then upright bass—showcasing both his musicality and production skill in capturing the performance's warmth and immediacy.
The track marks the first in a series of minimalist recordings planned for release on BYNK Records, spotlighting Hampton's raw musical presence.
“'Little White Lies' is one of those songs that sneaks up on you," Hampton reflects. “I was in my studio one night when it popped into my head almost subliminally. I remembered first hearing the song at Smalls in New York City years ago, and then not really hearing it again since that night."
What followed was an organic creative process that speaks to Hampton's artistic philosophy. “I listened through a few versions of the song and started playing through it. It was such a fun song to sing—I pressed record, sang it a couple more times, and now I'm sharing it with you."
Hampton's approach to the classic tune was refreshingly spontaneous. “I wasn't trying to reinvent it. I just sat down and played it the way it felt that day. There's something beautiful about not overthinking it."
Hampton's gift for meeting a song exactly where it needs to be is what has made him an essential collaborator across genres. He has a rare ability to enhance without overshadowing—bringing harmonic sophistication and melodic sensitivity that elevates every project he joins.
Despite its deceptively simple surface, “Little White Lies" reveals sophisticated harmonic complexities that have drawn artists to it for nearly a century. Walter Donaldson's masterful interplay between major and minor tonalities mirrors the song's lyrical tension, creating emotional depth that resonates with each new generation of performers
Alan Hampton is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who has toured, written, and recorded with leading artists across genres, including Andrew Bird, Rufus Wainwright, Chris Thile, Gretchen Parlato, and Robert Glasper. He has toured internationally and has performed on major stages, including the Grammys and Disney Hall.
Hampton's most recent collaboration with Gretchen Parlato, If It Was, features his composition from the 2011 Japan tsunami, now given new meaning after the Eaton fires impacted their Altadena community. All proceeds from the track benefit wildfire recovery efforts.
In 2023, he served as Musical Director for Rufus Wainwright's Folkocracy tour, which included a star-studded performance at Los Angeles's Disney Hall featuring Chaka Khan, Van Dyke Parks, and Susanna Hoffs. Recruited by Andrew Bird in 2011, Hampton has since played on seven of his albums, including the Grammy-nominated My Finest Work Yet and Hark, which features Hampton's original composition “Glad." He performed regularly on Chris Thile's Live From Here, where he met I'm With Her, with whom he performed at the Grammys in 2019.
As a composer, Hampton and Bird recently scored Chris Pine's directorial debut Poolman, starring Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Annette Bening. In 2021, they scored the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary Storm Lake. His bass playing is featured on Larry Goldings's score for the Netflix series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker.
Hampton has released two solo albums—The Moving Sidewalk and Origami for the Fire—which earned praise from The New York Times' Ben Ratliff, who wrote: “Alan Hampton is a songwriter who makes you reach for platitudes about 'good music'... He does that because he's got loads of talent."
“Little White Lies" is available on all major streaming platforms on November 14, 2025.
Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer Alan Hampton returns with a new single: a stripped-down, heartfelt rendition of the 1930 American song “Little White Lies." Recorded in a single sitting at his Pasadena studio, Hampton performed the song in two live takes—guitar and vocals, then upright bass—showcasing both his musicality and production skill in capturing the performance's warmth and immediacy.
The track marks the first in a series of minimalist recordings planned for release on BYNK Records, spotlighting Hampton's raw musical presence.
“'Little White Lies' is one of those songs that sneaks up on you," Hampton reflects. “I was in my studio one night when it popped into my head almost subliminally. I remembered first hearing the song at Smalls in New York City years ago, and then not really hearing it again since that night."
What followed was an organic creative process that speaks to Hampton's artistic philosophy. “I listened through a few versions of the song and started playing through it. It was such a fun song to sing—I pressed record, sang it a couple more times, and now I'm sharing it with you."
Hampton's approach to the classic tune was refreshingly spontaneous. “I wasn't trying to reinvent it. I just sat down and played it the way it felt that day. There's something beautiful about not overthinking it."
Hampton's gift for meeting a song exactly where it needs to be is what has made him an essential collaborator across genres. He has a rare ability to enhance without overshadowing—bringing harmonic sophistication and melodic sensitivity that elevates every project he joins.
Despite its deceptively simple surface, “Little White Lies" reveals sophisticated harmonic complexities that have drawn artists to it for nearly a century. Walter Donaldson's masterful interplay between major and minor tonalities mirrors the song's lyrical tension, creating emotional depth that resonates with each new generation of performers
Alan Hampton is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer who has toured, written, and recorded with leading artists across genres, including Andrew Bird, Rufus Wainwright, Chris Thile, Gretchen Parlato, and Robert Glasper. He has toured internationally and has performed on major stages, including the Grammys and Disney Hall.
Hampton's most recent collaboration with Gretchen Parlato, If It Was, features his composition from the 2011 Japan tsunami, now given new meaning after the Eaton fires impacted their Altadena community. All proceeds from the track benefit wildfire recovery efforts.
In 2023, he served as Musical Director for Rufus Wainwright's Folkocracy tour, which included a star-studded performance at Los Angeles's Disney Hall featuring Chaka Khan, Van Dyke Parks, and Susanna Hoffs. Recruited by Andrew Bird in 2011, Hampton has since played on seven of his albums, including the Grammy-nominated My Finest Work Yet and Hark, which features Hampton's original composition “Glad." He performed regularly on Chris Thile's Live From Here, where he met I'm With Her, with whom he performed at the Grammys in 2019.
As a composer, Hampton and Bird recently scored Chris Pine's directorial debut Poolman, starring Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Annette Bening. In 2021, they scored the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary Storm Lake. His bass playing is featured on Larry Goldings's score for the Netflix series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker.
Hampton has released two solo albums—The Moving Sidewalk and Origami for the Fire—which earned praise from The New York Times' Ben Ratliff, who wrote: “Alan Hampton is a songwriter who makes you reach for platitudes about 'good music'... He does that because he's got loads of talent."
“Little White Lies" is available on all major streaming platforms on November 14, 2025.
