These gifts translated onto the stage where, from the outset, Big Scary proved themselves a remarkably fluid and compelling live act, capable of not only bringing their songs to life, but also of adapting their set to suit the moment.
In late 2008, the band headed into the studio for the first time, laying down six live tracks in a single day. Another quick-fire recording session soon after resulted in a four-track mini-EP, led by the towering single βThis Weightβ. Featuring Iansekβs huge distorted guitar and high-wire vocals backed by Symeβs thumping drums, βThis Weightβ quickly caught the ears of the press, who hailed this βtalented and fearlessβ new duo.
Inspired by a wave of severe weather that hit the country, Big Scary went on to release the six-track βAt The Mercy of The Elementsβ ep. Ranging from rousing, piano-led ballads (βFalling Awayβ), to thumping, distorted numbers (βHey Somebodyβ) and intricate, sonorous instrumentals (βAt The Mercy of the Elementsβ), the ep was a full-to-bursting showcase of the duoβs vital, dexterous sound. βThoroughly excellent,β raved The Australian. βPacked with anxiety and bravado,β Beat said.
With a growing national profile, Big Scary embarked on a period of heavy touring, with a diverse list of supports that reflected the duoβs eclectic output: The Vasco Era, Florence and the Machine, Midlake, Little Red, Editors. Soon enough the duo began headlining their own shows, first in their hometown of Melbourne and then all over the country.
Big Scary remain endlessly fascinated by the natural world. In 2010, the duo released four seasonally themed, limited-edition eps, which were eventually collected as The Big Scary Four Seasons. A rich, thrillingly diverse set of songs, The Four Seasons showcased Iansek and Symeβs uncanny ability to translate the vagaries and glories of the elements into utterly compelling music.
βFour Seasons proves to be the defining turning point for Big Scary, for they are no longer the next best thing in Australian music, they are the best thing,' Beat Magazine said of the lp, while the AU Review hailed βthe versatility and obsceneβ¦ talent of the players.β
A national tour followed, with the band playing to packed houses all over the country. Several months later, as the band began to ready their new album, βAutumnβ, one of the standout tracks from the Four Seasons, was placed in a high-profile AT&T ad in the US, introducing the band to American audiences for the first time.
The vision for the new record came together on a small island farm, where Iansek and Syme holed up for several weeks after a run of successful summer festival shows, writing and demoing songs. βWe knew we had a lot of songs that we liked, but they were all so far from each other on the genre scaleβsuper bratty garage, really poppy piano stuff, epic guitar songs, folky acoustic stuff,β Syme says. βThe album will still have elements of all that, but we've got some really strong tracks that we think tie it all together.β
Instead of painting themselves into a corner, on the new album Big Scary celebrate the diversity of their songwriting. βWe write songs with completely different feels and vibes,β Iansek says. βIn the studio, we thought that we should try not suppress this too much, and just roll with it.β
By their own admission, the two worked βa lot harderβ in putting together the new album material than they had before, re-writing parts and lyrics until they were satisfied. This process continued into the studio, where every sound was carefully considered and experimented withβoften for hours at a time. Layers were added to some songs, while parts were culled from others, as Iansek and Syme sought to make each song βas strong as it could possibly be.β
The new album, which is due in October, promises to be another startling document from a band whose only constant seems to be their capacity for invention, their desire to keep moving forward.
www.bigscary.net
Label page: Pieater
All That You've Got
Big Scary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We wanna chase it, we want it hot
We wanna see, all that you see
I wanna act on every urge that's inside me
Yeah your pain is a ride and you're life's only paper
Yeah your wife just called, said she might call later
And a home is a home, and your life is a flat-screen
We wanna feel all that you feel
I wanna feel that my time here is a big deal
We wanna have it, we wanna touch it
All that you got, we wanna grab it
What you reap is what you sow
And what you sow is an unknown
Yeah your pain is a ride and you're life's only paper
Yeah your wife just called, said she might call later
And a home is a home, and your life is a flat-screen
Yeah don't look now, you're already a has-been
The lyrics βWe wanna have it, all that youβve got, We wanna chase it, we want it hotβ imply that the singer desires a certain lifestyle or material possessions that they perceive the subject of the song to possess. This can be interpreted as the singer wanting to keep up with the subject of the song or wanting to have what they have. The following lines, βYeah your pain is a ride and your lifeβs only paper, Yeah your wife just called, said she might call later,β give the impression that the subject may be wealthy or famous, and the songβs protagonist is envious of their life. The singer also desires to feel and experience all that the subject does, to feel as if their time here is significant. This can suggest that the singer may feel insignificant in comparison or have a desire for meaning and purpose.
The lines βWhat you reap is what you sow, And what you sow is an unknownβ may be interpreted as a reflection on actions and consequences. The singer is likely suggesting that the subjectβs lifestyle, riches, or fame may have been earned through hard work, dedication, and the risks they took. Now they reap the rewards, but the cost may have been unknown or not considered. Alternatively, it could imply that the consequences of the subject's actions are yet to be determined.
Overall, βAll That You've Gotβ is a song that expresses the desire to achieve a certain lifestyle and experience all that another person does. It may be interpreted as a reflection on enviousness, the cost of success, and the search for meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
We wanna have it, all that you've got
We desire everything that you possess, without any regard for its value or worth.
We wanna chase it, we want it hot
We are impatient and want to attain our desires as quickly as possible.
We wanna see, all that you see
We want to experience your experiences, regardless of whether they are positive or negative.
I wanna act on every urge that's inside me
I am ruled by my impulses and lack the ability to control them.
Yeah your pain is a ride and you're life's only paper
Your suffering is a temporary sensation and your existence is merely a fleeting, insignificant existence.
Yeah your wife just called, said she might call later
Your personal relationships are inconsequential to us and we do not care about them.
And a home is a home, and your life is a flat-screen
Your possessions and material possessions hold no value or significance to us.
Yeah don't look now, you're already a has-been
You are outdated and irrelevant, and you should not bother trying to keep up with our desires and expectations.
We wanna feel all that you feel
We want to experience all of your emotions, regardless of how painful or distressing they may be.
I wanna feel that my time here is a big deal
I want to feel significant and important during my time on earth, regardless of the impact I make.
We wanna have it, we wanna touch it
We want to possess and physically interact with everything that you own or have access to.
What you reap is what you sow
Your actions have consequences and you will receive what you give.
And what you sow is an unknown
You cannot predict what the outcomes of your actions will be, as they are often unpredictable.
Writer(s): Thomas Iansek, Joanna Syme
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Big Scary
This new video for "Get Out!" was inspired by The X-Files, Twin Peaks and The Cohen Brothers. We're in a small, timeless town (in this case central Victoriaβs Castlemaine) and we're here to deliver The Word Of Big Scary, and to acquire True Believers. JOIN US....
It's on our upcoming 4th album "Daisy", out April 30th https://ffm.to/bigscary_daisy
πΌPaulina PiπΈ
I've been listening to you YOU since 2011, after Falling Away. LOVE YOU.
Wwt
The video for this could not be any better π
Dany Goba
Of course!!! Thats nice. I hope some day you visit Mexico and play your amazing music.
Benjamin Doherty
This is brilliant. I only discovered Big Scary today - mightily impressed by what I've heard.
Milesamanjaro
Welcome to the party π
Pure Historical
I turned on the tv a few nights ago because I couldn't sleep. This was playing on Rage. I was instantly mesmerized and, having never heard of your before, have been devouring your back catalogue ever since. I think I've watched this clip about 30 times already! Ha! Yes I see the Lynchian influence and I LOVE it!
Big Scary
Thanks Dwayne! π
Phill Cassidy
Yo, just seen this song on ABC rage, great song, love the bass, very funky, need more of this type of music...
Yahot Gaspar
I've been waiting for your music for a long time, it's really nice to see you again. I love them. greetings from Mexico