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
Twin Rivers
Big Scary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
Gonna have to wake up
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
And the conversations so old
And my body goes cold
When you turn off the bed side light
Gonna have to wake up
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
Gonna have to wake up
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
This is my idea of fun
More is lost and time is won
This is my idea of fun
More is lost and time is won
This is my idea of fun
And the conversations so old
We can't even roster a fight
And my body goes cold
When you turn off the bed side light
And nothing ever happens
Will something ever happen
Gonna have to wake up
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
Gonna have to wake up
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
The song "Twin Rivers" by Big Scary speaks of a mundane and monotonous life that one wishes to escape. The repetition of the phrase "Gonna have to wake up" signifies the dread that the artist feels towards waking up to the same routine every day, putting on a game face and getting changed without any excitement or enthusiasm. The lyrics convey a feeling of boredom in the mundane conversations that the artist has been having, which have become so rote that they can't even roster a fight. The artist expresses melancholy in the line "And my body goes cold when you turn off the bedside light," indicating a sense of detachment and loss.
As the song progresses, the artist repeats the line "This is my idea of fun," which seems to be a sarcastic statement, again signifying the monotony of everyday life. The lines "More is lost and time is won" imply that the artist feels as though they have lost touch with themselves and that time is slipping away. The song concludes with the artist questioning whether anything ever happens in life and expressing their desire not to wake up again this morning.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna have to wake up
I am dreading the thought of having to start my day and face the world.
I don't want to have wake up, get up, get changed, game face
The mere thought of having to do the same mundane tasks every day is draining and tiring.
I don't wanna have to wake up again this morn
The thought of having to endure another day of the same dull routine fills me with dread.
And the conversations so old
I am tired of having the same boring conversations, and it feels like our relationship is stagnant.
We can't even roster a fight
We are so disconnected that we can't even argue properly anymore and just go through the motions of our relationship.
And my body goes cold
The lack of passion and excitement in our relationship is causing physical and emotional numbness.
When you turn off the bed side light
Even the simple act of turning off the bedside light triggers a feeling of loneliness and isolation.
This is my idea of fun
This is not what I had in mind when I thought about having fun and being happy.
More is lost and time is won
Every day that passes feels like a loss, and time seems to fly by without anything changing or improving.
And nothing ever happens
Our lives and relationship remain stagnant, and there doesn't seem to be any hope of things changing.
Will something ever happen
I am desperate for something to change, for something to happen that will shake us out of our rut and bring some excitement back to our lives.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOANNA SYME, THOMAS IANSEK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ThePensiveWon
This came on while I was half-lucidly going in & out of falling asleep and I was aware that I needed to wake up to save the song cause I was blown away. One of those ultimate euphoric moments of life:)
Wild composition and the lyrics hit quiteeee deep
@Stephani483
Still one of my favorite songs ❤️
@lyricallyunstable1017
This is the most emotional music video I've ever seen and I absolutely love it
@_AJH_
This song performed live was life changing.
@all-bets
Their music is underrated- it's soft, soothing and a great listen. It's a shame they're not noted more often.
@janutellet
I've found this song on a Singapore radio station, Lush 995. They always have underrated yet beautiful songs from their playlist, unfortunately the FM is long gone. This is really a beautiful music
@mikechaves2868
I feel like this moment is the treasure of discovering music regardless of popularity.
@Terraceview
Get's better with time. Amazing.
@viewaskew007
Their music is so intricately genuine and moving. Brilliant shit.
@ali-bobblobfish8762
love this song soo much and combined with the music video is just perfection! It really connect with it