Artist Spotlight: Big Something
Photo Courtesy of Kyle Day.
The Appalachian Preservation Project is proud to present Big Something as this week’s Artist Spotlight.
How long had y'all known each other before coming together as a band?
I didn't really, I started playing acoustic solo gigs by myself at Elon at a bar called the Lighthouse Tavern where I met the rest of the guys and we kind of just slowly took shape one by one. From there it's still all the same original members. Our bass player Doug just turned 50 and retired from touring this year, so we have some young blood in the bands now. We just brought on a 26 year old new bass player named Matt Laird. And he's awesome and it's been a pretty smooth transition.
What inspired the name Big Something?
It's a few different things. People don't always get this but it's a first important reference to the universe. And then, beyond that, it's kind of like a little bit about the band. And our sound. How it's hard to describe musically kind of if that makes sense. Um, yeah, that's really cool. I love that.
What artists are inspiring y’alls songwriting currently?
It’s a great question because it's so diverse. That's kind of like part of the identity of the band and why we're called Big Something. You never really know what you're gonna get as far as the genres go. We try to leave it pretty open. As far as how we're writing songs, what inspiration we're using, you know, we've got stuff that's in the alternative rock world and then we've got stuff that's, you know, a little bit more in the reggae world. We've got a couple like more blue grassy and Americana sounding things. We've got some Hip Hop sounding stuff. Some like jazz and improvisation. So the influences are very wide ranging and diverse. You know, me personally. I love the Talking Heads. I think they're kind of a good example of our vibe and where our vibe is coming from, and also, I think one common influence that the six of us all have together is like Pink Floyd. Like we all love Pink Floyd. So between those two things, it's kind of a good starting place.
How do you hope that your music impacts people who listen to you?
That's a big question. I hope it just makes them happy. It's hard to say. When I listen to music, it can help turn a bad day back into a good day. It can bring back great memories of hanging out with friends and family and you know, hopefully our music can do the same for other people. But it's hard to say we just make it and put it out there.
Are you guys working on any recording projects right now?
So yes, earlier this year, we recorded a ton of new music, like enough for more than one album. But we're prepping a good chunk of that music for our next album, which will hopefully be out by the end of the year.
What could you say that people can expect from that album?
Our best work yet. I think it was a really special recording experience and some of my favorite songs that we've ever put together. A lot of great collaborators got involved and I think it's probably our best work yet, so everything's just kind of taking itself up a level in my opinion. I can't wait for people to hear it!
See more of Big Something on their website, and take a listen on Spotify!
