It is exactly because they are quite prolific that I am running out of ways to say that Manchester post-hardcore trio Big Problem are, well, quite prolific. Their first two EPs - Morbid Pace and Grudge, both excellent - came out just over a year apart, with a standalone single “Damager,” plugging the little gap in between, and we also caught up last year when they released a live version of a Morbid Pace favourite, “Rowing”.
No doubt they’ll have plenty more coming soon, but in the meantime, we get another single in the form of “The Grip” - a track which shows off the band’s driving, melodic, Title Fight itch-scratching sound in all its glory.
Recorded by the band’s drummer, John Hinde, at Smokestack Studios in Cheshire, where they practise, the track features some instantly recognisable guest screeches from Jimmy Wizard of UKHC heroes Higher Power, and comes with a playthrough video that was also recorded by
Hinde in the same space:
Bassist/vocalist Phil Bowman elaborates on the song’s themes: “The lyrics are based around getting to grips with the passing of time and letting too many things get on top of you. I’m trying to get a bit more serious in the way I write and get some things that have really been bothering me out on the page.”
On putting it all together, Hinde adds: “We were very grateful to be asked by The Wrong Side to play the Manchester Higher Power show on their last tour in October. Being huge fans of the band, and after mixing the demos, we knew it would sound unreal with Jimmy on the track. After hitting him up and sending him the demos, he was down, and everyone was super excited. It was tracked by Louis Hardy at the new Boom studios.
“I recorded the video in the room that Deja Vega and our friend Liam Barrow use at Smokestack Studios (thanks again, guys) with my brother James Hinde and Tom Eaton helping out. We got our friend Dan Shearer, who crushed it with the artwork again. There is a running theme through the video, artwork, and song, so super happy to see it all come together!”
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Tagged: big problem, higher power
