INTERVIEW: Mr Bigfoot

Image by Liane Hall

Remember the good old days under Tory rule and the lack of opportunity it brought? If for whatever reason you’ve forgotten, then the Teesside alt. rock quartet Mr Bigfoot certainly hasn’t and are set to refresh your memory with their new EP, Mr Bigfoot II.

The band create atmospheric soundscapes and loud fuzzy riffs that lie somewhere between grunge and shoegaze, as the band’s singer, songwriter and producer Kie Davies explains: “The grunge elements stem back to our teen years where we would just be angsty kids listening to Nirvana. Something about the big heavy riffs and aggressive vocals really spoke to us… As far as the shoegaze elements, there’s something about the idea of playing with big textures that really appeals to us. A wall of sound to dissociate to is almost therapeutic and we aimed to capture that element in our music.”

The inspiration behind their songs reflects the lost generation who were brought up on the dream of ‘work hard and you’ll succeed’ only to grow up and realise it was without substance. “We try to take a different approach every time we take on a new project. This time around it stems from the frustration of 20-something year-olds struggling with the meritocracy myth. We went to school, we did everything we were told to do, we were promised the world. Now we get there and the world is burning down instead.” Kie continues. “The new EP explores ideas of wasting your potential, a struggle with identity and the state of the world. Ultimately, the new songs are a cathartic scream into the void about the current state of affairs.”

the new songs are a cathartic scream into the void about the current state of affairs

Mr Bigfoot II kicks off with the anthemic and expansive The Madman’s Window, with its big beats, gorgeous guitars and heartfelt vocals, before heading into the more sombre, spacious and soulful sounds of Untitled 2. Unnatural Selection brings the tempo up with its indie disco beats and Test Icicles-esque vocal delivery before the crunchy, punchy T.R.A.H.R. and snappy, riff-heavy Wasted finish the EP in catchy chorus style. You can hear their grunge influences, such as Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, My Bloody Valentine, but sonic qualities and vocal delivery in the songs add subtle afternotes of nineties indie bands like Manic Street Preachers, Muse and The Verve, as well as more modern psych sounds akin to Tame Impala.

As well as the production, which was done by Kie (with additional work by Steven Bardgett) at Green Dragon Studios in Stockton, the EP is tied together by the sincerity in the message that drives the music, as well as the desire to connect with an audience that has shared the band’s experiences. Kie adds: “Music has and always will be the purest art form which allows people to express their anger at a messed up unjust system. It’s one form of art and media which gives the artist and audience a chance to connect with one another and feel as if they are heard. That’s why music is so  owerful and we hope our songs will resonate with those who feel the same way as us.”

With a new Labour government, I finish by asking if the band are hopeful of positive change: “From the looks of things, this new Labour government doesn’t seem to be doing anything to make things better so maybe we’ll have more material for another EP soon.” 

Mr Bigfoot II is released on 8th November. They play The Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Saturday 16th November.