BIG|BRAVE unveil the mountainous single “an uttering of antipathy“
New album in grief or in hope is out on 12th June
BIG|BRAVE start European tour this week,
touring North America this Summer with The Body
BIG|BRAVE, the Montréal/Berlin-based trio of guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie, guitarist Mat Ball, and bassist Liam Andrews, have unveiled the mountainous single “an uttering of antipathy,” taken from their forthcoming album in grief or in hope, out June 12th. The single’s gargantuan, sublime chords feel gravitational as they unfold in plumes of darkened feedback. Wattie’s voice emphasises a sense of isolation inside the fray with stark clarity and at times auto-tuned undulations, culminating in a powerful conclusion: “god only blames me / you only blame me.”
Mathieu comments, “This track was actually one we performed during the past year of touring. These are the chords and instrumentation we used for the live rendition of “chanson pour mon ombre”. Given our fondness for this live track, we decided to incorporate the chord progression into a new song for this record. After several challenging days in the studio, when it was time to structure and record the track, Liam, Robin and I recorded the entire song in a single take in the live room. This was a highly encouraging moment. The vocals (with subtle autotune) effectively brought the song together, making it one of my favourites on the record.” About the autotune Robin enthuses, “I’ve ALWAYS wanted to try it. i’m glad we did.”
in grief or in hope marks a shift for BIG|BRAVE towards denser, guitar-oriented compositions. With longtime touring bassist Liam Andrews (MY DISCO, Aicher) joining guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie and guitarist Mathieu Ball in the studio for the first time, the pieces are keenly layered with a rich tapestry of harmonics and tonal intricacies. Each piece is its own biome of distortions starkly contrasted with delicate, even tender, moments. The trio’s instinctual progressions are made more vivid through live recording, harnessing the gargantuan and storied sound of their performances. Within texturally maximalist loops and affected vocals, the pieces utilise the aesthetics of drone, electronic, and heavy music within a foundation of pop song form. Wattie writes: “I wanted to explore catchy, melodic phrasing weaved throughout the intensity of the instrumentation and drony chord changes. All that I could reflect on was grief and hope; death and life; cause and effect; shared experiences of being a human person.”
Together the trio deliver emotional momentum that vividly describes the complex and deep feelings of struggle, pain, and transcendence. in grief or in hope transmits that sense of humanity with every gesture.
BIG|BRAVE will begin their European tour in support of the album this week in the Netherlands, and will be embarking on an extensive North American tour with The Body this summer.
BIG|BRAVE tour dates
24 May – Utrecht, NL – EKKO [tickets]
25 May – Amsterdam, NL – OCCII [tickets]
27 May – Saint-Imier, CH – Toxoplasmose Festival [tickets]
28 May – Basel, CH – Kuppel [tickets]
29 May – Torino, IT – Jazz is Dead
30 May – Piacenza, IT – Desert Fox Festival [tickets]
31 May – Ljubljana, SI – Channel Zero [tickets]
2 Jun. – Poznan, PL – Pawilon [tickets]
3 Jun. – Berlin, DE – Berghain [tickets]
8 Jul. – Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs [tickets] *
9 Jul. – Portland, ME – Space [tickets] *
10 Jul. – Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz [tickets] *
11 Jul. – Toronto, ON – St Stephen in the Fields [tickets] *
12 Jul. – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop [tickets] *
14 Jul. – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle [tickets] *
15 Jul. – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry [tickets] *
16 Jul. – Omaha, NE – Reverb Lounge [tickets] *
17 Jul. – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive [tickets] *
18 Jul. – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge [tickets] *
20 Jul. – Seattle, WA – Black Lodge [tickets] *
21 Jul. – Vancouver, BC – The Cobalt [tickets] *
22 Jul. – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios [tickets] *
24 Jul. – Sacramento, CA – Café Colonial [tickets] *
25 Jul. – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill [tickets] *
26 Jul. – Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon [tickets] *
27 Jul. – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar [tickets] *
28 Jul. – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge [tickets] *
30 Jul. – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves [tickets] *
31 Jul. – Austin, TX – 13th Floor [tickets] *
1 Aug. – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall [tickets] *
2 Aug. – New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa [tickets] *
3 Aug. – Birmingham, AL – Saturn [tickets] *
4 Aug. – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade – Purgatory [tickets] *
5 Aug. – Durham, NC – Pinhook [tickets] *
6 Aug. – Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery [tickets] *
7 Aug. – Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA [tickets] *
8 Aug. – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg [tickets] *
* w/ The Body
in grief or in hope album cover
“Since their inception in 2012, Big Brave have amplified the torrential sound of clawing oneself into being.” – The Guardian
“Like Low at their most expansive, the music here swells, surges and rages without ever losing the vulnerability at its core.” – Uncut
“This is achingly beautiful, haunting music that marks the three-piece out as so much more than just another doom metal act.” – Metal Hammer
“BIG|BRAVE’s attention to detail remains both heaven sent and claustrophobic, pairing together droning distortion, atonal dissonance, and Robin Wattie’s beautiful voice emerging from the rubble… The burn of the guitars feels impossibly dense, made of cinders and ash, and yet its balanced with the softer (but no less caustic) tone of Wattie’s slow drawn vocals.” – Post-Trash
“A striking funereal lullaby that’s delivered through an ocean of noise and feedback. It’s soothing and abrasive at the same time” – Stereogum
“curdles into a wall of noise in a way that’s strangely calming.” – Our Culture
REVISIT THE VIDEO FOR “THE INEPTITUDE FOR MUTUAL DISCERNMENT” BELOW:
