In celebration of their recent signing to Thrill Jockey records (a fave of ours!) we thought we’d do our latest Supersonic blog feature on the mighty Canadian trio BIG | BRAVE. To say we’re excited to host them at Supersonic in July would me a massive understatement!
So to get you acquainted, the Montreal trio BIG | BRAVE create heavy, vast post-rock. Minimalism, structural freedom and meticulous timing form the cornerstones of their precise, rhythmical sound. The band formed in 2012, with no other goal than simply experimenting with the instruments in their possession. Band members Robin Wattie and Mathieu Ball started writing subtle ambient/minimalistic folk songs together. After an incident where an acoustic guitar broke, the electric guitar became the permanent replacement, bringing with it larger amps and mass of amplitude. Third member Tasy Hudson joined the ranks in 2018.
It became clear that loud volume would become just as effective as the lowest possible ones and the juxtaposition of both would become something of a signature sound for them.
“Even at their heaviest though, there’s a brightness and optimism radiating at the core of the trio’s sound. Their folky roots really shine through”
– The Quietus
Since their inception, the band has had many honours and privileges of touring a number of times in North America and Europe with bands such as Sunn O))), MY DISCO, The Body, Thou, Primitive Man and Thee Silver Mt Zion.
In 2015, the band entered the studio and recorded “Au De La”. With no home for the record, they decided to take a chance in writing to Southern Lord. As luck would have it, Greg Anderson happened upon their email among hundreds and responded. Since then, BIG | BRAVE have had a home with Southern Lord Records – they’ve released the band’s latest outputs; Ardor in 2017, A Gaze Among Them in 2019 and VITAL in 2021. Following these several epic releases, they put out an immensely heavy album with The Body which we wholly recommend you check out here.
In June 2021 we had the pleasure of hosting Robin & Tasy In Conversation, hosted by journalist Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley. We used the talk to explore ideas of great force, intensity and turbulence within music. Through the notion of ‘Heaviness’ in creative practice, the pair gave us some truly candid answers on their experiences in the alternative music scene.
So if you really want to dive into the inner workings of BIG | BRAVE, check the talk out…
And to polish off, here is the band’s latest music video ‘Half Breed’ – it consists of a single shot of a single performative action that can be read as the representation of the damage an external force can have on someone or something without ever having to bear any responsibility and consequence. BIG | BRAVE adds “The action of shovelling dirt onto the person, also acts a way to discredit, shame and discriminate the individual. With the victim (on screen), being painfully covered with dirt by the perpetrator (off screen), all we have to witness is the damage done and left behind. We are aware of what is happening, what has happened, but the source is kept anonymous and can easily be missed and overlooked.”
“The first and only time we played in Birmingham was in 2015 to 5 people. Finally returning to play one of the best festivals! Thanks for having us Supersonic Fest”
– BIG | BRAVE
Well, we’re sure to guarantee this mind-blowing band a packed-out room at Supersonic 2022 with you lovely folks!! BIG | BRAVE play the Sunday. Get your tickets for our sweet 16th edition here.
