Big Nothing are releasing their sophomore full-length, Dog Hours, this Friday (February 18th) on Lame-O Records. Today the band are sharing one more early preview of the record with “Always On My Mind.”
Dog Hours finds Big Nothing incorporating new dynamics and textures into their timeless songwriting to make a record of warm and welcoming guitar pop that’s as comforting as it is catchy. The band’s ability to blend in acoustic guitars and hints of alt-country influences without losing their anthemic heart is on full display with opening track, “Always On My Mind.” The song builds from gently strummed verses into a rousing final refrain complete with searing guitar leads and the layered harmonies.
Big Nothing (bassist/vocalist Liz Parsons, guitarist/vocalist Matt Quinn, guitarist/vocalist Pat Graham, and drummer Chris Jordan) have a sound that’s rooted in big guitars and big hooks, but unexpected circumstances forced them to try a different approach making Dog Hours. “With the pandemic, we were all writing separately and stuck playing quietly in our apartments,” Quinn explains. “And so it was pretty natural that we started making more stripped-back music.” The result is a more intimate version of Big Nothing that brings the acoustic guitar and layered harmonies to the forefront without sacrificing the palpable camaraderie that makes their music so endearing. It’s an album that explores all of the uncertainties and existential dread of adulthood, but counters it with a Westerberg-esque sense of humanity and warmth.