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 ‘This Weight’. Featuring Iansek’s huge distorted guitar and high-wire vocals backed by Syme’s thumping drums, ‘This Weight’ quickly caught the ears of the press, who hailed this ‘talented and fearless’ new duo.
Inspired by a wave of severe weather that hit the country, Big Scary went on to release the six-track ‘At The Mercy of The Elements’ ep. Ranging from rousing, piano-led ballads (‘Falling Away’), to thumping, distorted numbers (‘Hey Somebody’) and intricate, sonorous instrumentals (‘At The Mercy of the Elements’), the ep was a full-to-bursting showcase of the duo’s vital, dexterous sound. ‘Thoroughly excellent,’ raved The Australian. ‘Packed with anxiety and bravado,’ 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 duo’s 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 Syme’s uncanny ability to translate the vagaries and glories of the elements into utterly compelling music.
‘Four 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 ‘the versatility and obscene… talent of the players.’
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, ‘Autumn’, 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. ‘We knew we had a lot of songs that we liked, but they were all so far from each other on the genre scale—super bratty garage, really poppy piano stuff, epic guitar songs, folky acoustic stuff,’ Syme says. ‘The album will still have elements of all that, but we've got some really strong tracks that we think tie it all together.’
Instead of painting themselves into a corner, on the new album Big Scary celebrate the diversity of their songwriting. ‘We write songs with completely different feels and vibes,’ Iansek says. ‘In the studio, we thought that we should try not suppress this too much, and just roll with it.’
By their own admission, the two worked ‘a lot harder’ 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 with—often 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 ‘as strong as it could possibly be.’
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
Oxygen
Big Scary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our bodies on the line
No more cheap conversation
Use that oxygen to save me
I know you're feeling it
I think I feel it too
Slide my hands a little higher
Respect the power
Feel my power
Reaching for the tissues
But not because of your daddy issues
It's strictly physical
Our bodies on the line
No more cheap conversation
Use that oxygen to save me
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
It's strictly physical
Our bodies on the line
No more cheap conversation
Use that oxygen to save me
I know you're feeling it
I think I feel it too
Slide my hands a little higher
Make you work a little harder
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
Take a picture of yourself
Put it up on the shelf
The lyrics to Big Scary's song "Oxygen" suggest a physical relationship that lacks emotional depth. The line, "No more cheap conversation," implies that verbal communication is not valued in this relationship, and the repeated request to "use that oxygen to save me" could be interpreted as a reference to the physical act of sex as a way to escape emotional pain. The lyrics also touch on power dynamics, with the singer asserting their own power ("feel my power") and suggesting that their partner has unresolved issues with their father ("reaching for the tissues").
Overall, the lyrics seem to reflect a relationship that is rooted in physical desire and lacks emotional intimacy. The repeated request to "take a picture of yourself, put it up on the shelf" could be interpreted as a commentary on our modern culture's obsession with documenting and sharing everything, even our most private moments.
Line by Line Meaning
It's strictly physical
This encounter is purely physical and has no emotional or mental connection.
Our bodies on the line
We are putting ourselves in a vulnerable position by engaging in this physical encounter.
No more cheap conversation
We don't need to talk anymore; our actions are speaking for themselves.
Use that oxygen to save me
Use your breath to re-energize me and keep me going during this physical experience.
I know you're feeling it
I am aware that you are experiencing this encounter as well.
I think I feel it too
I am unsure if I am experiencing this the same way you are.
Slide my hands a little higher
I am increasing the intensity of the physical encounter.
Make you work a little harder
I am encouraging you to put in more effort into this physical encounter.
Respect the power
Acknowledge and appreciate the intensity and energy in this physical encounter.
Feel my power
Experience the strength and vigor in this physical encounter.
Reaching for the tissues
Not showing emotion, but reaching for tissue paper to clean up afterward.
But not because of your daddy issues
I am not the source of any personal emotional trauma or pain related to your father.
Take a picture of yourself
Capture this moment for yourself.
Put it up on the shelf
Remember and reflect on this physical encounter.
Writer(s): Thomas Iansek, Joanna Syme
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.