Off the back of dropping surprise second album National Average in July via SO Recordings, Big Special are going back on the road in February, including a performance in Southampton at 1865 on February 25th.
The album includes such singles as Plaintive Native. Explaining the single, frontman Joe Hicklin said, “The song is about political turmoil clouding the minds of the nation that turns moral conviction into apathy. It’s about worry for the future and a lack of hope. It’s the confusion of trying to be good when everything is so bad and not knowing how to navigate and trust all the wagging fingers and waving fists.”
Big Special’s rise has been rapid. In August 2023, the Walsall duo – Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – played their first London headline show at Camden’s Dublin Castle with only one release to their name. Less than two years later, they commanded a packed O2 Forum Kentish Town, celebrating the success of their acclaimed debut Postindustrial Hometown Blues. Their new album charts that journey, and explores the highs of success alongside the persistence of mental and emotional battles.
A band just two years into their career, the pair have seen support from NME, BBC Radio One, BBC 6 Music, Brooklyn Vegan, Rough Trade, DIY, DORK, MOJO, CLASH, The Line Of Best Fit, UNCUT, Rolling Stone UK, and more, continuing to be one of the UK’s most exciting acts.
Grounded in a decades-long friendship, Big Special are built on honesty, grit and sheer persistence. Balancing dark humour with raw truth, they continue to evolve without losing sight of where they came from. Theirs is a story of brotherhood and resilience, and proof that even when you’re living the dream, the struggle doesn’t vanish.
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