North Easts Bigfatbig are due to go on tour in October supporting Durham’s rock band Martha along with releasing their debut EP the following month. The group tell us about their love for Hannah Montana and keeping the fans hydrated.
Give us a potted history of the band
We started writing for bigfatbig in late 2018 after watching Zuzu at a festival in Stockton. Katie and I have been best friends since we were 11, and have always made music together, but it wasn’t until being exposed to amazing women with guitars writing songs that we could relate to that we thought to make our own. Our first show was in November 2019, along with our debut single, Science. Our launch went better than we ever could have hoped; the following year we were a tip for BBC Introducing NE and included in Radio 1’s Big Weekend, which is a career highlight for us, for sure. Fast forward a couple of years and a global pandemic, we’ve released 6 singles, have an EP on the way and are about to head out on our first UK tour with one of our favourite bands, Martha, so life is good!
Who inspired you to start making music
Like I said above, Zuzu was a huge catalyst for us to begin writing our own music. She is just the best. We studied music together at Sunderland College and the encouragement we received there from the lecturing staff was honestly second to none. We owe them a lot. As a vocalist, my three main influences have always been Miley Cyrus, Hayley Williams and P!nk – although our music doesn’t sound anything like theirs, they definitely moulded who I am as a performer and continue to inspire me today.
And the one or maybe two records that inspired you artistically
Narrowing it down to one or two is impossible! Back On Top by The Front Bottoms feels like the obvious answer. They really are a band we’ve grown up with, and this album in particular came out at a really important time in our lives. Also, Hannah Montana’s entire back catalogue (no, I’m not joking).
If you’re trying to explain whom you sound like to someone that’s never heard you, what do you say
Imagine Kate Nash, The Front Bottoms and Avril Lavigne had a baby that loved Paramore and Disney Channel soundtracks. It’s a bit like that.
Tell us about your new release
Our debut EP, ‘Rockin’ and Rollin’ and Whatnot’, comes out at the start of November, and we’ve never been more proud of anything ever. I think it kind of navigates being a 20-something in 2022, when everything seems to be on fire in this country. We went into the pandemic at 21 and left it at 24, so it definitely feels like a lot of time has been stolen from us in the prime of our lives.Obviously, much worse things happened in the last few years and we are in such a privileged position, but when things begin to get overwhelming it’s really easy to forget. The 4 tracks on this EP are about things
Where can we get hold of it
It’ll be everywhere! The first single, Shut Up!, came out on 16th August and you can find it on whichever streaming platform you prefer. We also released a music video for it on our YouTube channel. There will be one more single released from the EP in September, before the whole thing drops on October 28th. If you’re into physical music, you can buy a cassette from Daemon TV which includes a zine. We can’t afford vinyl, but the cassettes are super cute and include every song we’ve released so far PLUS two unreleased tracks.
Tell us how you write
Katie and I write the songs collectively, then take them to our gorgeous band to flesh out. It definitely varies from song to song, but we generally begin with a bigger theme or concept and work around that, starting with an acoustic guitar and a melody. With lyrics, we typically write and write and write – WAY too many lyrics to actually use, then edit them down depending on what kind of structure we come up with. We’ve never recorded a proper demo a day in our life. Our iPhone voice memo app is our best friend. It’s not very professional or slick, but I guess it works for us!
Tell us about your live show
Our live show is the thing we love doing the most. We try and leave everything we have on stage every time we play, which can be exhausting – but I’m not sure we really know another way? Our music is usually upbeat yet angry, which translates best on stage. It’s fun, loud, energetic. Bring earplugs and stay hydrated!
What can we expect from you in the near future
We go on tour this Winter! We visit 7 cities for 9 shows across November and early December with Martha. If you live near any dates, we’d love for you to come watch us. Following this EP, we have a lot of other songs that we’re working on right now, so we want to get back into the studio as soon as we can to record EP 2.
Tell us your favourite records that’s rocking your headphones/tour bus / stereo
Lauran Hibberd’s Garageband Superstar and Demi Lovato’s HOLY FVCK are the two albums I can’t get enough of at the minute. Raise Hell by Fresh is something I’m sure we’ll be blasting in the tour van too… but Taylor Swift’s new album will be out by then too, so I think we’ll find it hard to listen to anything but that, probably.
Check out the band’s single ‘Shut Up’, below:
Find out more via the band’s Facebook
Live Dates
8th Oct – Twisterella Festival, Middlesbrough
18th Nov – Metronome, Nottingham*
19th Nov – EartH (Main Hall), London*
20th Nov – Rebellion, Manchester*
26th Nov – Exchange, Bristol (matinee show)*
26th Nov – Exchange, Bristol*
27th Nov – Brudenell, Leeds*
1st Dec – Pop Records, Sunderland*
2nd Dec – Pop Recs, Sunderland*
3rd Dec – Mono, Glasgow*
*supporting Martha
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