INTERVIEW: Big & The Fat — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

PHOTO CREDIT: Keira-Anne

Big & The Fat

_______

EAST London’s Big & The Fat entice with…

their new single, Crack Crack. I ask them about their start and where ‘Big & The Fat’ comes from; whether there is going to be some new material soon; the music that has inspired each of the members – what gig dates they have come up.

Aside from one or two niggles – baffled by musicians who are not on Twitter! – the hot London band are on the rise and showing immense promise. I learn more about the quartet and what drives them; how last year went for them; what they hope to achieve this year – they recommend some new artists for us all.

______

Hi, guys. How are you? How has your week been?

So far it’s been studio, studio, gig; studio, studio…so we can’t complain.

For those new to your music; can you introduce yourselves, please?

Shimon, Constantin; Greg and Alex – A.K.A. Big & The Fat - an Electronica/Krautrock band from East London.

Can I ask where your name, ‘Big & The Fat’, came from? Is there a story behind that?!

They are the two terms we hear people use to describe our sound. We wanted a name that reflected that - so it stuck.

Tell me about the new single, Crack Crack. What is the story behind it?

Crack Crack was written within a couple of hours after a show last summer. The verses contain lines overheard in conversation and snippets of something read in the newspaper - which all elude to the idea of someone who ‘could do better’ or being ‘almost there’ but, ultimately, held back by being emotionally unstable.

You are releasing a limited edition vinyl through We Can Do It Records in March. Do you think it is important to keep your music physical AND digital? What can we expect from that release/vinyl?

It’s so much nicer to create something tangible that you can give to someone. In an age where new recorded music is mostly experienced online, it feels right to counterbalance it with something physical. We’re lucky that our label, We Can Do It, also think the same. The 7” vinyl will be pink and feature two tracks, Fruit and Crack Crack.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jess Newby-Vincent

Last year was a busy one for you! Was it quite nerve-wracking being a new band? How did you all get together as a group?

We’ve been close comrades from an early age: writing together in other bands before we formed Big & The Fat. So, making music together feels normal. Big & The Fat is the way we express the sounds we love to hear and make.

Is there going to be more material later this year?

100%. We’ve got a bunch of other tracks we’re planning to release in the summer and beyond.

London is where you are based. Is the city the best place for the band, do you feel? How does London influence the music you write?

Living in London made it easy to see and play gigs from a young age - which definitely influenced our lifestyle and what we were listening to (if anyone remembers all-ages gigs (circa 2007) you’d know what we mean). Having said that; I’m not sure a city is the best place for a band: I’d imagine you’d probably find more headspace and physical space to make music outside the confines of a modern city like London. But, it’s the only life we know – so we could be wrong. We’ve talked about moving to a smaller European city together…

But then we sober up and top up our Oyster cards...

Can you talk about the music you all grew up on and were struck by at a young age?

Like most young-teens; we grew up listening to British millennial, radio chart-Pop and American MTV Pop/Punk bands. Sometimes, our siblings would show us something better - but we were all generally obsessed with guitar music from a young age.

IN THIS PHOTO: Human Music/PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Fray

Who are the new artists you recommend we check out?

Not all new, but: Balothizer, ho99o9; Juana Molina, Girl Band; Re-TROs, A House in the Trees; Zahra O’Shea, Japanese Television; The Amazing Snakeheads and our buddies, Human Music.

IN THIS PHOTO: Zahra O'Shea

If you each had to choose the one album that means the most you; which would they be and why?

Shimon: Screamadelica – Primal Scream

For breaking the traditional ethos of band music - as well as being a crazy-unique Dance record. This album made me understand pulse and rhythm in a new light.

Constantin: Niagara – Niagara

Four rhythmical geniuses going at it for fifteen minutes without a moment’s paus - and you’re so busy cradling the rhythms in your head you wound up hypnotised.

Greg: Songs for the Deaf – Queens of the Stone Age

The first heavy album I got into; introducing me to so many different styles of music.

Alex: Loaded – The Velvet Underground

I put it on and never get bored. There’s an abundance of amazing tracks on there.

PHOTO CREDIT: Léo Bodelle

Can we see you tour soon? What gigs do you have coming up?

23/02: Blondies, London

15/03: Birthdays, London

07/04: Lock Tavern (SINGLE LAUNCH PARTY), London

18/05: The Monarch, London

What do you each hope to achieve, personally, in 2018?

To release more tracks and crawl into as many new ears as possible.

Do you all get time to chill away from music? What do you like to do when you’re not creating?

I don’t think any of us take real breaks from music: we’re usually writing or playing in some capacity - even if we’re not together.

PHOTO CREDIT: Josh Fray

Have you each got a favourite memory from your time in music – the one that sticks in the mind?

S + G: Touring the U.K. as a support band early on in our musical life (under a different guise) was a big eye-opener for us. We were all super-young and it was the most we’d played together up until then - in such a short amount of time. So; it was a good chance to know what it’s like to be on the road performing night after night.

C: Standing in front of a mic'd-up setup in a giant festival tent like Bestival and hearing that oomph.

A: Touring Germany and Czech Republic in our previous incarnation - as that was the moment which encouraged us to move on, musically, and start our new chapter as a band, Big & The Fat.

Finally, and for being good sports; you can each choose a song and I’ll play it here (not any of your music - I will do that).

Ratatat – Loud Pipes