A Great Big World
A Great Big World is the new incarnation of Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino. Read Full Bio ↴A Great Big World is the new incarnation of Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino.
Axelโs known for the 2011 viral hit โThis Is the New Year,โ which solidified him as an indie pop presence with staggering YouTube views and numerous syncs on film and television. Teaming up with longtime collaborator Chad, heโs expanding his horizons immensely into A Great Big World.
The seeds for the partnership were planted early, even before Ianโs solo career took off. While both studying music at NYU, Ian tracked Chad down in the schoolโs practice rooms.
Chad smiles, โI kept blowing him off, and then I heard him singing nervously at the piano. I was like, โyour voice is amazing. Letโs work on these songs. Letโs be friends.โโ
Ian laughs, โI kind of forced my friendship on him. I stalked him and made him listen to my songs. He told me I needed to be singing. This realization changed my life. Our relationship is super special. I feel like weโve known each other forever.โ
Ian was the artist, and Chad shared writing duties and became his manager. Playing around New York, Ian eventually stepped into the spotlight and released an independent solo album entitled This Is the New Year in 2010.
The title track featured a vocal cameo from Chad. The songโs low budget music video shot at a Brooklyn party garnered over 1.5 million views and stirred an overwhelming viral buzz. Given the trackโs success, tinyOGRE Entertainment signed Ian, remixing and re-releasing the record through Sony. โWe finally got to quit our day jobs and do this,โ Chad goes on. โIt was surreal how quickly everything moved forward from that point.โ
As they hit the road, โThis Is the New Yearโ continued to gain steam. MTV utilized it as the theme song for their hit documentary series I Used to Be Fat and then it played over the title credits of Garry Marshallโs New Yearโs Eve. Their music became a favorite of music supervisors. One Tree Hill, Amazing Race, ESPN, and Good Morning America all incorporated their songs, and Rachael Ray invited them to perform on her nationally syndicated talk show.
They completed their first national tours and opened shows for Ingrid Michaelson, Five For Fighting, and Glee star Matthew Morrison. Their live performances feature a warm, engaging interplay reminiscent of the intimacy and energy of artists like Elton John, Regina Spektor, and Simon and Garfunkel.
In late 2011, tinyOGRE Entertainment informed all of their artists that they were shutting down. โIt was bittersweet,โ admits Ian. โOn the one hand, we lost our whole team. On the other, my relationship with Chad was as strong as it ever was. We were re-capturing the creative spark we had in college. Our music wasnโt just about โIan Axel.โ We had always been in this together.โ
Thatโs when A Great Big World was officially born. Making positive, piano-driven pop bursting with harmonies and woven together with a fun theatrical twist, the duo crafted a six-song EP funded entirely on Kickstarter by fans. โItโs optimistic pop music,โ Chad says. โThere are fewer songs about heartbreak and more about the big picture. But even the most painful of our songs are hopeful.โ
Theyโve certainly chased their dreams and theyโre going to continue to do so. But there is something even greater at play. โWriting is our therapy,โ Ian concludes. โAnd when we can connect with people through our music, itโs transformational. Weโre not alone. Our songs are your songs. And thatโs what itโs all about.โ
www.agreatbigworld.com
Axelโs known for the 2011 viral hit โThis Is the New Year,โ which solidified him as an indie pop presence with staggering YouTube views and numerous syncs on film and television. Teaming up with longtime collaborator Chad, heโs expanding his horizons immensely into A Great Big World.
The seeds for the partnership were planted early, even before Ianโs solo career took off. While both studying music at NYU, Ian tracked Chad down in the schoolโs practice rooms.
Chad smiles, โI kept blowing him off, and then I heard him singing nervously at the piano. I was like, โyour voice is amazing. Letโs work on these songs. Letโs be friends.โโ
Ian laughs, โI kind of forced my friendship on him. I stalked him and made him listen to my songs. He told me I needed to be singing. This realization changed my life. Our relationship is super special. I feel like weโve known each other forever.โ
Ian was the artist, and Chad shared writing duties and became his manager. Playing around New York, Ian eventually stepped into the spotlight and released an independent solo album entitled This Is the New Year in 2010.
The title track featured a vocal cameo from Chad. The songโs low budget music video shot at a Brooklyn party garnered over 1.5 million views and stirred an overwhelming viral buzz. Given the trackโs success, tinyOGRE Entertainment signed Ian, remixing and re-releasing the record through Sony. โWe finally got to quit our day jobs and do this,โ Chad goes on. โIt was surreal how quickly everything moved forward from that point.โ
As they hit the road, โThis Is the New Yearโ continued to gain steam. MTV utilized it as the theme song for their hit documentary series I Used to Be Fat and then it played over the title credits of Garry Marshallโs New Yearโs Eve. Their music became a favorite of music supervisors. One Tree Hill, Amazing Race, ESPN, and Good Morning America all incorporated their songs, and Rachael Ray invited them to perform on her nationally syndicated talk show.
They completed their first national tours and opened shows for Ingrid Michaelson, Five For Fighting, and Glee star Matthew Morrison. Their live performances feature a warm, engaging interplay reminiscent of the intimacy and energy of artists like Elton John, Regina Spektor, and Simon and Garfunkel.
In late 2011, tinyOGRE Entertainment informed all of their artists that they were shutting down. โIt was bittersweet,โ admits Ian. โOn the one hand, we lost our whole team. On the other, my relationship with Chad was as strong as it ever was. We were re-capturing the creative spark we had in college. Our music wasnโt just about โIan Axel.โ We had always been in this together.โ
Thatโs when A Great Big World was officially born. Making positive, piano-driven pop bursting with harmonies and woven together with a fun theatrical twist, the duo crafted a six-song EP funded entirely on Kickstarter by fans. โItโs optimistic pop music,โ Chad says. โThere are fewer songs about heartbreak and more about the big picture. But even the most painful of our songs are hopeful.โ
Theyโve certainly chased their dreams and theyโre going to continue to do so. But there is something even greater at play. โWriting is our therapy,โ Ian concludes. โAnd when we can connect with people through our music, itโs transformational. Weโre not alone. Our songs are your songs. And thatโs what itโs all about.โ
www.agreatbigworld.com
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
A Great Big World Lyrics
"This Is the New Year" Another year you made a promise Another chance to turn it…
All I Want Is Love Fear You're just a name that I have learned Another way for…
Already Home You say love is what you put into it You say…
Boys in the Street When I was younger My daddy told me I would never Never…
Cheer Up Cheer up! 'Cause nothing really matters when you look up int…
Come On I wanna be a thought inside your mind I wanna see…
End of the World I'm gonna love you (love you) I'm gonna love you (love…
Everyone Is Gay If you're gay then you're gay Don't pretend that you're stra…
Fall On Me Sooner or later the lights up above Will come down in…
Hold Each Other I miss the words we used to say I miss the…
I Don't Wanna Love Somebody Else Oh, I built a world around you Oh, you had me…
I Really Want It So tell me what are we living for? I say we…
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will…
Kaleidoscope My life My life was black and white and I believed…
Land of Opportunity I'm sailing away, to a Land of Opportunity. The sun will…
Oasis Don't cry You're mine For forever For forever I need You no…
One Step Ahead How many times Did I miss the signs? My stupid heart It left…
Rock Star There's a girl in the backyard bangin' on her drum Sittin'…
Say Something Say something, I'm giving up on you I'll be the one,…
Say Something ft. Christina Aguilera Say something, I'm giving up on you I'll be the one,…
Say Something feat. Christina Aguilera Say something, I'm giving up on you I'll be the one,…
Say Something ft. Christina Aguilera Say something, I'm giving up on you I'll be the one,…
Shorty Don't Wait Shorty don't wait in a line Shorty don't wait til the…
The Future's Right in Front of Me I spent my life trying to answer to the voice…
The One So tell me what are we living for? I say we…
There Is an Answer I am just a sailor in a great big sea Searching…
This is a New Year Another year you made a promise Another chance to turn it…
When the Morning Comes What happened before Was a waste of time I don't care anymor…
Where Does the Time Go Where does the time go? I don't want this to end Where…
Won't Stop Running Facing forward Lights out I won't stop running Falling backw…
Wrap Me Up Under the Christmas Tree Baby, this Christmas I can't afford too many things I don't …
You You'll be okay You'll be okay The sun will rise To better da…
Younger I wish I was younger The fat kid with the big,…