BIG IMAGE

Big Image, a four-piece from Kidderminster whose sound sits at the intersection of indie songwriting and dancefloor instinct.

Rooted in the Midlands but drawing on a palette that spans baggy, acid house and propulsive guitar pop, they make music designed to close the gap between the band and the room.

Having shared stages with DMA's, The Twang and The Sherlocks, and with a growing reputation for live shows that make people stop and pay attention, Big Image are exactly the kind of band SSP exists to champion: bold, regional, and on the rise.

ROTHER STREET ARTS HOUSE MAY 7

BIG IMAGE

WE CHATTED TO BIG IMAGE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR SOUND AND INFLUENCES

LISTEN TO THE FULL PLAYLIST

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GET INTO MUSIC?

My first real memory of music goes back to staying at my dad’s house as a kid. I couldn’t sleep, so I wandered downstairs and found him watching an episode of Classic Albums. It was about Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. There was a moment where guitarist Steve Jones was playing “Pretty Vacant,” and that riff hit me like a lightning bolt. From that point on, I got the album, started properly listening to music, and it opened the door to so many bands and influences over the years.

Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant

WHAT SONG REMINDS YOU OF HOME?

A song that reminds me most of home is probably “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant actually lives in the town where we started the band, and you’d see him around in pubs from time to time, which always made it feel a bit special. My dad was a huge Led Zeppelin fan as well, so I grew up hearing that track a lot. It’s one of those songs that’s always stuck with me, and I’d say it’s pretty much the soundtrack to where we’re from.

Led Zeppelin - Ramble On

WHO WERE YOUR MUSIC INFLUENCES GROWING UP?

My biggest influences growing up were probably The Libertines and Oasis, but I also went through a big nu-metal phase in my early teens, listening to bands like Limp Bizkit, Korn and Linkin Park. As I got older, I started getting more into hip hop, especially groups like Odd Future and A$AP Mob when I was in high school. It’s always been a real mix of styles, and that blend has shaped the sound and influences behind Big Image’s music.

Tyler The Creator - Yonkers

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND?

Like I’ve said before, Big Image has always been shaped by a real mix of sounds, from hip hop and new wave to bits of drum and bass, while Connor leans more towards pop. At the moment though, we’ve been really into sombr, especially his track “12 to 12,” which has definitely been in the rotation and is influencing the kind of mood we’re into right now.

Sombr - 12 to 12

WHAT TRACK HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY?

Lately, I’ve been listening to EsDeeKid, especially his track “4 Raws,” which I think is brilliant. I’ll be honest, the rest of the band aren’t really into it, but I love how raw it feels. It’s got this almost modern take on punk rock, with a real attitude and energy behind it. He’s clearly smashing it at the moment, and it’s just a track that really stands out to me.

Esdeekid - 4 Raws

WHAT IS AN UNDERRATED SONG THAT MORE PEOPLE SHOULD HEAR?

A really underrated song that I love, and I know the rest of the band do too, is “Opportunity” by The Charlatans. I remember driving back from a gig in the early days of the band when Luke asked if I’d ever heard it. I hadn’t, but when he put it on, it genuinely changed everything for me. The groove, the guitar solo, the whole feel of it is just incredible. It’s not one of their most played tracks on Spotify, but for us, it really sums up what we love about music. Big Image has always been about groove and feel, and that’s something you can really hear in a track like this.

The Charlatans - Opportunity

WHAT'S A SONG YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN?

I think you’d be an idiot not to say something by Oasis, to be honest. For me, they’re the ultimate British band, the story, the look, the attitude, and obviously the music. So I’d probably go with “Some Might Say.”

Oasis - Some Might Say

WHAT TRACK CAPTURES YOUR MOOD ON TOUR?

For me, a song that always brings back the feeling of being on tour is “Get Down Tonight” by KC and the Sunshine Band. It takes me straight back to when we played the Isle of Wight Festival a few years ago. We had an early ferry because our set was pretty early, so we were already on the beers from the morning. I’d never even heard the track before, but as we came over the hill after landing and Connor put it on, the sun was shining and it just hit me. It was one of those moments where everything clicks and you realise how mad it is that you get to do this with your best mates, playing festivals up and down the country.

KC + The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight

WHAT'S YOUR GO TO TRACK FOR GETTING IN THE ZONE PRE-SHOW?

The song we’ve always had on before going on stage is “Love Shack” by The B-52s. I don’t know how or when it became our walk-on track from the dressing room to the stage, but for the last five years or so, it’s just stuck. It’s the one we put on to get in the mood, get pumped up, and fully in the zone before a gig.

The B52s - Love Shack

IF YOUR MUSIC WAS A SOUNDTRACK - WHAT FILM WOULD IT BE?

We’re proper suckers for a rom-com, to be honest. Anything with Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler, that kind of brain-rotting, absolutely awful stuff, we love it.

NEW LISTENERS - WHICH TRACK SHOULD THEY HEAR FIRST?

Our top played song, and the one we usually end the set with, is “Uptown.” If I’m honest, we’ve probably grown a bit tired of playing it over time, so there’s a slightly bittersweet feeling around it now. But at the same time, it’s hard to ignore that it’s one of the best songs we’ve ever written as a band.

Big Image - Uptown

WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG YOU'VE WRITTEN?

To be honest, my favourite song we’ve ever written probably changes week to week, but recently it’s been “Lost in Tokyo” from our last EP. For me, it really captures everything we love about Big Image. It’s got a strong groove, the lyrics feel almost spoken word, almost hip-hop in places, and then it builds into this big crescendo with a guitar solo and gospel-style vocals. Right now, it’s probably my favourite, and it goes down brilliantly live.

Big Image - Lost in Tokyo