Little White Lies vocalist Katie Rose Campbell (left) and guitarist Sara Campbell. The Ontario duo recently released “String Me Along” and is working on its forthcoming EP, She Has Teeth.
Photo credit: Jade Lines Photography
Ontario alternative pop-rock duo Little White Lies released “String Me Along” on October 2, a song that Katie Rose Campbell says grew out of a difficult U.S. tour and a change in how the band approaches its career. Campbell and fellow musician Sara are now working toward an EP called She Has Teeth, with plans to explore a darker, more assertive sound.
The tour had been an opportunity for the musicians to pursue their ambitions beyond the Ontario cities where they live. Campbell recalls enjoying the performances, meeting people along the way and making professional connections. She also describes the experience as personally difficult and says it prompted the pair to reconsider how involved they wanted to be in decisions about their music and their working lives.
The trip provided an unexpected writing space. Campbell says she and Sara worked on songs in a cramped hotel room and used open-mic nights as places to rehearse. The music they developed on the road became Alter Ego, the five-song EP Little White Lies released in July 2025. Its tracks include “Under the Pretty,” “Your Devil” and “Shadow Queen.” The band had previously released the single “Taste” in 2023.
“String Me Along” grew from some of the feelings Campbell carried away from the tour. She describes writing and releasing the track as a personal outlet. “It’s been therapy in a way and has felt like the only way to get it out. And that’s what music is for,” she said in an email interview.
The forthcoming EP's title describes a wider set of experiences. Campbell says She Has Teeth reflects the musicians becoming more willing to speak up, set boundaries and make choices about the direction of their work. “There are so many times in life when you need a little more bite; whether that means standing up for yourself, setting a boundary, or saying something you would have kept to yourself before.”
Musically, the band also has plans to push further into the darker side of its sound. Its public concert biography describes a mixture of cinematic pop, alternative rock and R&B influences, while Campbell wants the new songs to retain the accessibility of a singalong chorus. “Musically, we’re exploring a darker, more assertive side of the band, while still wanting songs people can connect with and sing along to,” she said. The rest of the EP will draw on different experiences rather than retell the story behind “String Me Along.” A release date and track listing have yet to be announced.
For Campbell, taking a more active role in creative and professional decisions has become part of the band's development. She says it can be difficult for musicians to balance excitement about new opportunities with questions about what those opportunities involve, and she hopes other artists will feel comfortable asking for information before making commitments.
“If there’s something I’d want another artist to take from this, it’s that you’re allowed to ask questions. You can be grateful for an opportunity and still question it,” she said. Campbell also connects that advice to the expectations women sometimes encounter in music: “Especially as women, I think we can worry about seeming difficult or demanding when we just want a say in our own art.”
For Little White Lies, having that say extends beyond songwriting. Campbell and Sara handle much of the behind-the-scenes work themselves, from emailing contacts and pitching songs to promoting performances and following up on bookings. It is a substantial workload alongside rehearsing, writing and performing, and it requires learning parts of the industry that are rarely visible to an audience.
The band also has to manage the distance between its members. Campbell lives in Sarnia and Sara is based in Cambridge, so even arranging time together takes planning. Campbell says working outside Canada's larger industry centres means making an extra effort to get into rooms where connections are formed. Those practical considerations become part of the work whenever the duo wants to record together, play another city or pursue a new opportunity.
The musicians are open to building a larger professional team around the band in the future. “We still want to work with people and grow a team around the band, but we want to understand what’s happening and be part of those decisions,” Campbell said. They want to maintain that involvement as they continue recording and looking for ways to reach new audiences.
One recent opportunity brought them before a hometown audience. On October 3, the day after “String Me Along” came out, Little White Lies played Rocktoberfest at Suncor Agora in Sarnia's Centennial Park, on the bill with Canadian rock band 54-40. The festival was a fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society of Sarnia-Lambton, marking the organization's 40th anniversary.
It was the first time Little White Lies had shared a bill with 54-40, Campbell said. She described a strong response from people at the show and a lineup at the band's merchandise table after its set, where she and Sara met longtime supporters and new listeners. The chance to hear that reaction in person was particularly satisfying after the work involved in bringing the single to release.
The band is scheduled to return to the stage in Sarnia on October 23 at AJ's Music Hall for Warrior Women, a bill that also includes Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold and Circle the City. With “String Me Along” out and She Has Teeth in development, Campbell and Sara have another run of music-making and independent promotion ahead of them.
Ontario alternative pop-rock duo Little White Lies released “String Me Along” on October 2, a song that Katie Rose Campbell says grew out of a difficult U.S. tour and a change in how the band approaches its career