The GainesvilleScene Interview: Nick MacDaniels of BIG Something

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With the reemergence of one of downtown’s prime venues, The JAM, comes the attraction of some real talented acts these past few weeks.

Continuing a string of good music in Gainesville was North Carolina-based funk rockers: BIG Something. They took to the outdoor stage at The JAM this past Saturday and despite the cold brought some much-needed groove to keep people moving. Performing some favorites off of older albums like “Amanda Lynn” and “The Undertow,” the band also flaunted their newest tracks off of their most recent album release, “Truth Serum.”

These seasoned veterans of the road looked terminally chill on stage and, with infectious smiles, delivered some of the best live music that I’ve heard in a long time. I got the chance to ask some questions to vocalist/guitarist Nick MacDaniels, which he graciously answered.

GainesvilleScene: The use of synthesizers and distinct effects both vocally and instrumentally were definitely utilized more in this past album. Was this intentional towards establishing a new sound, or just the result of what the band was feeling while recording the album?

Nick MacDaniels: There’s definitely more synth and electronic wind instrument on this album, but I actually feel like we used less vocal effects and processing than we did on the last two albums. Sonically, this album – “Truth Serum” – was all about trying to capture the magic from a live performance and giving it a studio polish. We recorded it as a six-piece completely live in the studio with as few overdubs as possible, so it’s a little more simplified than our previous two albums where we basically recorded the songs with as many layers as possible. I think you can hear the natural progression of the band, but also the desire to push the envelope with our material while trying a new approach with recording in general.

GS: For those who don’t know about it, tell us a little bit about The BIG What? summer festival you host annually. How did that begin?

NM: The Big What? is our annual summer grassroots music festival that we curate every summer in central NC usually on the last weekend of June (June 25 – 27 this year). 2015 will mark the 4th installment of The Big What. It’s a really special event for us and a chance to get creative and really elevate the BIG Something experience on a larger platform. We try to make it a really positive experience in general. It’s got a great intimate vibe where southern hospitality is everywhere. The community is awesome — everyone is super friendly and takes care of each other. We have a huge art gallery. Two alternating stages, disc golf course, outdoor showers, woods camping and it all takes place on a beautiful 300-acre farm. The first Big What was in 2012. And we originally came up with the idea about a year before that with the name being a play on some people’s response to the ambiguity of our band name. “What’s the name of the band?” … “The Big Something” …. “The big what???” … We had been involved with throwing smaller festivals over the years in NC. We wanted bring everyone from those circles together and throw our own festival and just try to make it as interactive and ridiculous as possible — almost like a big collaborative art project.

Via: Tyler Andrew Hunt

GS: The band’s cumulative recording experience is evident in this new album. I read that tracks like “Pnuts Song,” were omitted from your self-titled album. Along with songs like “Capt. D” and “Love Generator,” they bring an entirely different live-feel to “Truth Serum.” Mixed with some conspiracy themes and general feel-good lyrics, was there any specific message you guys were aiming for with the new album?

NM: Yes! “Pnuts Song” is one of the oldest songs we have in our catalogue but had never been recorded before. So it was great to finally get that one on tape. Most of the songs we had already been playing live for at least a year or two. So, “Truth Serum” is more a collection of different songs than anything else. I think they are some of our best and most focused songs yet. Lyrically, I think there’s a “lost at sea” dream state quality to a lot of the songs. “Capt. D” takes place in the days of ancient explorers. “Love Generator” takes place in a future world of robots. “Truth Serum” is sort of a present-minded acid trip interview conducted by the CIA. And then the last song on the album, “Grey Matter”, is all about waking up from the dream state, or more specifically, coming out of a coma.

GS: The adventures of our favorite vigilante Pinky seems to have been ended in the song “Jose’s Pistola.” Can we expect a reemergence of this character or has he been put to rest for good?

NM: I think a reemergence of pinky is definitely in the cards. We always joke about the different situations we could put him in — Pinky goes to Disneyland, etc. “Good Man” is another song from our last album that I don’t think a lot of people realize is also a Pinky song — sort of a Pinky prequel.

GS: In regards to your good friend and contributing lyricist, Paul Interdonato, what was his involvement in your latest album “Truth Serum?”

NM: Paul thought of the concepts and general ideas for all of the lyrics on “Truth Serum.” He and I usually just hang out and let the ideas flow. He improvises out loud by singing or rapping and we record everything. Then I’ll go back in and organize and kind of structure the lyrics into parts and choruses. It’s always a trip writing with Paul. We’ve known each other since we were little kids and I think that comes out in our songs.

GS: With your heavy touring schedule as well as your summer festival, can we expect any new tunes to hit people’s ears in 2015?

NM: There are already at least seven new ideas in the works! We’re gonna take our time developing them until we know for sure that they are awesome, but I can already tell we’re pushing ourselves even harder and I’m excited for the potential with a lot of these new ideas. We usually like to debut new material at The Big What? so who knows? We may have whole new album’s worth of material by then.

GS: Having the band together now for nearly five years, what advice do you have to give to any aspiring musicians considering the plunge into a self-sustaining music profession?

NM: Pursuing music as a profession is tricky. I’ve learned so much in our five years as a band. You have to understand that it’s a really gradual process and you’ve got to figure out a way to support yourself on the side — part time job with flexible hours, teach music lessons, etc. I think the best advice I can give is to really hone your craft and voice as a musician before you get too involved with the business end of things. I wouldn’t recommend trying to book and promote a ton of shows on your own before you have achieved a certain level of progress with your craft. Practice more than you think is humanly possible. Record as many songs and ideas as you can and continually work to make your band better or make yourself a better musician, songwriter, etc. Do this until you know you’ve got a collection of songs or compositions or skills that are really truly special. Don’t worry about the business, promotional side of things until you feel the music is ready to put out there. When you’re first starting out, don’t play too many shows in your hometown. Playing shows just to play shows or just to make ends meet won’t really get you that far. You’ve always gotta think about the big picture. When you first get started, I think it’s better to make each show really special and spread them far apart from each other on the calendar. You want to build excitement in your hometown from one show to the next.

Via: Tyler Andrew Hunt

If you play the same city 3-4 times a month, it becomes harder for your friends and fans to stay interested. People won’t notice if you’re improving as much. But if you spread your shows out (1 every couple months) and really practice between shows and really work to make each show a creative and special experience for the audience then your following will easily grow in your hometown. That’s where you want to start. Build your following in your hometown with carefully selected shows that are promoted to be special events and then slowly extend your radius from there by networking and trading shows with other bands that do well in other towns around yours. Before you know it, you’re making waves as a regional band. But be forewarned, it takes years to get there in most cases. So be prepared to struggle and learn from your mistakes. It’s going to take a lot of time and effort to really get far. And then when you get there, you realize there’s still so much further to go. Surround yourself with positive people who dream and wish for the same things you do. Project positive energy on stage. Body language is important. The way you communicate in all aspects of what you do is super important. Above all, stay positive, be humble and truly believe in what you do. Put every ounce of your soul into it. GS: If music wasn’t an option, what else could you see yourself doing in this life?

NM: That’s tough. I don’t think music will ever NOT be an option for me! Life is art. And music is part of being human, especially for me. Even if I couldn’t play in the band anymore for some reason, I would still write and record. I would still teach guitar lessons. I’m sure I could still work in the music industry, work with festivals, etc. I’ve already spent so much time on this path; it’s hard to see myself doing anything else right now.

 Feature photo courtesy of: Tyler Andrew Hunt