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I’ll start by asking who would you say your biggest influences are? My biggest influence as a frontwoman has always been Hayley Williams. I've listened to Paramore religiously since my preteen years and I have never found anyone else that I look up to as much, as both a vocalist and a performer. I think she makes decisions that are artistically brave, and holding your own in one genre is hard enough - but to evolve over the years in the way that she has and still have such a signature sound is wild. I could genuinely do an entire interview how much I admire the woman, she has influenced me musically, stylistically and as a front woman more than any other artist. I also would put Kate Nash in a similar bracket (I really think she's the lyricist of our generation), as well as up-and-comers like Zuzu. It's rare you find artists that you really resonate with on every level, but those would definitely be mine.
You perform in bands Picnic and BigFatBig how would you describe the creative process in both bands? I've played with PICNIC since being 16 in my first year of college, and that band is my baby. I started Bigfatbig as an experiment to play around with how I can approach things creatively and it spiraled out of control a little bit into what it is today. The writing process is so different for both! With PICNIC our guitarist Eddie is head honcho when it comes to ideas; he churns songs out like an absolute machine, and I really think he's a songwriting genius. It makes it really easy for a song to materialise when you have someone so talented in that way at your disposal, it's just up to me to come up with a catchy melody. We'll generally work on structures and individual parts together, but we work much more efficiently when a song is already 80% there. Most of the time, it's a really quick and satisfying process. I have a lot more creative control in Bigfatbig, and it's the first time I've written songs from scratch. It makes it a lot more challenging, but also more rewarding to see it come together into something you're really proud of. I love each band for entirely different reasons, and the creative process definitely comes into play for that.
How do you feel the response to Bigfatbig has been? With sell out shows and the songs gaining a load of well deserved praise. Never in a million years could we have predicted the response we've had since November. We've been booked for some of the region's biggest festivals (hopefully all of which will be rescheduled!) like This is Tomorrow, Hit the North, Heelapalooza and loads more. We've also been lucky enough to play shows with some of our favorite bands, like Zuzu, PINS and closer to home Swine Tax and Fever Days, so our time as a band couldn't really have gotten off to a better start! We're so unbelievably grateful for all of the support we've received since putting out our two singles, especially from BBC Music Introducing for including us in their Tips For 2020. We actually have our biggest announcement to date coming this week, which is completely mind-boggling news - you can follow us at @bigfatbig (@bigfatbig_ on twitter) if you want to stay in the loop. It all started off as a bit of a laugh and now all of this is happening for us, which is all we've ever wanted but never dreamed we'd achieve it so soon!
I think it’s safe to say that Picnic have a lot of influences from modern pop to jazz. How would you describe the bands music? I feel like PICNIC have really come into our own sound-wise over the last 18 months or so. I think a lot of it comes with being comfortable with creating really dancey pop music, and embracing that for all it is. Artists like Carly Rae Jepsen influence Eddie's writing massively, alongside more guitar-based music like The Wombats. Lyrically, Randy Newman plays a huge part in the way that our songs sound too. A very early influence of ours would have been Jamiroquai, and I think that still stands, especially in terms of our live show. We're definitely more of a live band - that's where we shine I'd say, and that's something that we've worked at for the best part of 5 years now.
What have been some of your favorite gigs (for both bands) you’ve played so far? PICNIC played the Tyne Bar stage at Tipping Point Live festival last year, and that really sticks out as a personal highlight for us. Class weather, mint atmosphere and loads of dancing and singing along, that was a really special day. We definitely had a "what the fuck" moment playing the Sunderland Empire with Dave Stewart back in 2017 too, really surreal but such a great experience! Our most recent show at Riverside 2 is really bittersweet too, we themed it like a party with cakes and party bags, there was a sold-out crowd there and our supports were absolutely mint. Feels like a lifetime ago, and it was only March!
bigfatbig have been really lucky in that we haven't played a bad show (yet, haha) and it's really hard to pick a favourite! Our first gig in November was outrageous, to sell out your first ever show is completely wild and we were so relieved at how well everything was received. Aside from that though, I think it'd have to be our show with Zuzu at Think Tank? in Newcastle. She played such a huge part in us finally starting this band, and has been such a great mentor and friend to us over the years. She's doing so incredibly well for herself at the minute and it was a dream come true opening up for her.
You’ve recently released songs So Bored(BigFatBig) and I Need Everybody(Picnic). Do you have any plans for future releases? Both bands have plans for releases very soon this year! I can't say too much, but at least one more song from each before the year's out. I think both of the songs are my favourite from each band to date as well! You can keep in the loop @picnicbanduk and @bigfatbig.
How have you been keeping busy creatively during the current lockdown? I work in finance so have actually still been working, but when I'm not we've got quite a few projects on the go to keep us busy. Lots of remote recording, filming visuals and planning for fun stuff to come later in the year. Again, I can't give too much away, but it's all going to come to fruition pretty soon! Aside from musically, I've taken up cross stitching and I LOVE it, it's so therapeutic. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a new hobby during this weird time.
Finally if you could recommend five other north east acts for people who check out who would it be? These are my favourite kind of questions - I am so passionate about our local scene and the artists in it. Narrowing down to 5 is hard, but I'll give it a go!
1) Mt. Misery: these lads are one of my favorite bands in the world, let alone in the region. I think they've pigeonholed a sound that no one else was attempting locally. I love their aesthetic, I love their songs, and I love them as people.
2) Fever Days: I think they're one of the most exciting prospects the North East has at the minute. Really clever songwriting, catchy hooks, but still gritty enough to get your teeth into. Everything they do is so well thought-out, from their live shows to their social media content!
3) Elizabeth Liddle: Elizabeth opened PICNIC's last show in March, we absolutely love her so much. The pipes on her are ridiculous, and she writes the most beautiful songs. Definitely one to watch as soon as she releases anything.
4) Trunky Juno: his music is so interesting. Really well-written, catchy songs - and for sure on to big things as he's caught the attention of Radio 1 already. It's like really cool lo-fi, meets American electronica pop. Production value is wicked, too.
5) Marketplace: I love this band. Both of their released tunes are top tier, summery Indie meets slacker-pop. Proper good vibes. I think they come across really well on their social media too, it's nice to see them engaging with their audience so much.
Links
Photos
Live Shot - Holly Olivia Photography
Picnic Band Shot - EyezMedia
BigFatBig Band Shot - Ryan Young