TRNSMT PREVIEW | THE BIG DAY | INTERVIEW
They may never actually seen the eighties but for Midlothian (ish) band The Big Day, the eighties seem to have left an impression. Rocking up in their sharp suits, slicked back hair and stylish shades, The Big Day own every room they enter.
Full of charisma and melodic charm, The Big Day captivate the 1980’s pop synth pop ambience with a much needed 21st century twist. Think The Killers meet Devo (with better suits) and you only touch the tip of the iceberg with this four piece.
Still in their adolescent as a band, The Big Day are smashing their way through the Scottish new music scene. They reached the final of BBC Scotlands Introducing Act of The Year 2023 and then selected as one of four showcasing acts at this year’s Wide Days Music Conference, headlining the events opening evening line up at La Belle Angele. Their third single ‘Born Killer’ debuts today and kicks off an incredible weekend of events which see the band perform on Saturdays TRNSMT River Stage.
First of all, huge congratulations securing the TRNSMT appearance – how are you all feeling about that?
Thanks so much, I can safely say we’re all absolutely buzzing to play! It’s been a huge aspiration for the band to play TRNSMT since we started the project.
But first, lets talk about incoming new music. Can you tell us about the new single ‘Born Killer’? What does it mean to you?
We have our brand new single ‘Born Killer’ coming out on the 6th of July. We feel like it’s a huge and very exciting step forward for the band in terms of direction and style, leaning further into our love of stadium anthems but still keeping our weirder elements firmly intact. Writing ‘Born Killer’ has given us that confidence to explore new sounds and throw contrasting influences together into something we feel proud of, which honestly means the absolute world to us.
This is your third single as The Big Day but in terms of new music, what else can fans expect from you this year/into next?
We’re currently making plans to record our first EP after summer which is something we’re particularly excited about! We also have the absolute pleasure of supporting Fatherson on their UK tour in September.
Your image as The Big Day is as characterful as your music. Who do you draw style inspiration from?
We’re all 80’s fanatics in this band, and that absolutely includes the fashion. We were inspired very early on by the outfits used in the Talkings Heads “stop making sense”, the bold colour choices used by Duran Duran and other New Romantic bands. But without a doubt, David Bowie is our biggest inspiration.
And of course, who inspires you musically?
We’re inspired by so many great bands and artists that cover a huge range of genres and eras. The artists that have had the most profound effect on our own music would probably be Bowie, the Talking Heads, U2, The Killers, Confidence Man, the 1975 and the Scissor Sisters just to name a few!
What can festival go-ers expect from your TRNSMT set?
We’ve been locked away in the rehearsal room for the past month or so working on our biggest and boldest set to date. We’ve often joked about “what would we play and how would we perform, if we were to be headlining a festival like TRNSMT” – and that’s how we’ve prepared for it. As if we’re headlining. It’s going to be very special indeed!!
Is there any bands/artists you are hoping to catch yourself?
There’s some fantastic Scottish acts playing, such as; Joesef, Declan Welsh and the Decadent West, The Joy Hotel, Brooke Combe, Terra Kin and Lucia and the Best Boys, that we’d encourage everyone to check out over the festival. We’re also particularly excited to see The 1975’s headline set.
The Big Day will make their TRNSMT debut on Saturday afternoon on the festivals River Stage at 1.45pm. If you can’t make that then the guys can be seen tonight (06/07/23) play alongside Slix and The Uninvited as part of King Tuts Official TRNSMT Pre Party event.
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