HUP catches up with Nick Walsh, one half of Kirikiriroa-based duo Big Sigh to talk about the release of their debut EP ‘Tether’, their upcoming tour, and life in the city of the future.
Kia ora Nick, congrats on the release of Tether! Tell us how Big Sigh came to be?
Thank you, much appreciated! Rachel (Hope Peary) and I have known each other vaguely for quite a few years through mutual friends.
We bumped into each other in late 2023 and Rachel mentioned she’d just bought an Indian instrument called a harmonium which immediately piqued my interest. It was one of those ‘we should have a jam sometime’ chats over coffee that actually ended up working out. Within the first half hour or so of playing together I think we both had the feeling of ‘oh shit, I think we’re on to something here’.
The way our voices work together was really immediate and even just things like the first couple of songs I brought to the table being perfectly in key with the drone of the harmonium… It all just kinda clicked.
Your songs are lush yet stark, complex and bursting at the seams with feels. Was it a conscious decision to write this type of music, or did it evolve from jams/playing together, or maybe something else?
Thank you! Those are all things we both appreciate in music.
There wasn’t much thinking involved at all to be honest. It’s just the way the music came out really. I think we both have a pretty strong sense of ourselves as songwriters. We also both have strong opinions about what we like and dislike in music. There was a pretty immediate sense of wanting to keep things as pared back as possible – wanting to keep it restricted to the sounds we make with our hands and voices in a room.
From that initial spark there were definitely lots of conversations about arrangements for the songs, what kind of production would suit our music, etc. We talked a lot about wanting to keep things raw and honest.
Are there any strong musical influences that led to Big Sigh sounding the way it does?
I don’t think so. I think it’s more the case that there’s a lifetime of listening that seeps into how we both write as individuals and we try to find the common ground in our tastes. There were a few records that we were both into around the time we started jamming that I remember bonding over, Adrienne Lenker, Big Thief, the Mitski album The Land is Inhospitable…, Ana Roxanne, traditional Indian music and some ambient music too.
How was the recording process? Fun/traumatic/somewhere in between?
Haha, yeah, maybe somewhere in between, but mostly fun!
We did it all live together at Roundhead studios with producer and all round legend De Stevens and most of the songs are first, second or third takes. We were encouraged by De to keep it raw and make the most of all the beautiful recording equipment they have at Roundhead.
It was a bit of an exercise in learning how to let the small imperfections go and just roll with it. There are definitely some moments where Rach and I might still cringe if we were to listen to the songs but the main thing to us is that the feeling is there.
I try to think about how all the old records from the sixties and seventies were made – limited tracks, in a room all together etc. Like, there must be something to that method given how well those records have stood the test of time.
You are both Kirikiriroa based – has living here had an influence on your music do you think, either in sound or in terms of subject matter?
Speaking for myself, I think it’s definitely had a big influence. Having gone to intermediate and done the first few years of high school in Kirikiriroa, this was the place where I solidified my relationship with music.
I have a lot of really visceral memories of listening to music in my room, or driving in a car through the fog that feel quite specific to Hamilton. I like to think of someone listening to our music in similar settings and imagine how it would feel. I’m just trying to impress my younger self really!
Also, having spent a lot of time in Tāmaki and then lived overseas in Shanghai, coming back to Hamilton really felt like returning home for me. I’m pretty psyched on Hamilton if you can’t tell, ha!
In terms of subject matter too, I’ve always loved songs that have very specific and direct lyrical references to people and places. There’s a bit of that in some of our songs for sure.
You’re out on tour soon – will you have a full band?
It will be just the two of us for this tour though we have talked about expanding the line-up in future.
It would be fun to have some wind instruments or strings in the mix. With that said, I reckon we’ll always return to performing as a two piece.
There’s something to be said about working with those limitations. It also makes things more manageable from a logistical perspective. Touring is expensive!
Will there be a physical release of Tether?
Nothing in the pipeline for Tether but we’re pretty keen to do something physical for the next release…
What are the immediate plans from here, after the tour?
We actually have a full length album that we recorded at the same time as the EP that’s ready to go so we’ll be putting that out sometime early next year.
We recorded 14 songs at Roundhead with De and decided to split them up based loosely around the timeline the songs were written in. So this EP is some of the earliest songs we wrote and the forthcoming record is comprised mostly of the songs that were written a little later on in 2024.
Woah! Can I ask a few Kirikiriroa-centric paatai?
Absolutely!
What’s your take on the state of the scene here atm? Any hot band tips?
I’ve got to be honest, I think there could be more bands and more diversity of genre but I think it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation. We need more venues and places for bands to rehearse!
Last Place is great and shout outs Mesoverse too, but we could do with a couple more venues and particularly somewhere where quieter/smaller capacity/weirder shows could happen. I’d love to see some improv nights, for example.
There’s a really strong and cool community of people here doing great things but a lot of that seems to be centered around the punk/hardcore scene which is awesome and has always been strong in Hamilton. It would be cool to see that expand into other genres.
I know there are a couple of people scheming on an artist run space which is super exciting!
What does your perfect weekend in Hamilton look like? Places to go/eat/drink/walk/shop etc.
Great question! I reckon, wake up early, drink some coffee (lots of good options there) and drive out to Mt Pirongia. That’s a pretty special place to be. Definitely eat some noodles at Waikato Udon. Taitua Arboretum is also great for a walk. Hit up the Frankton op shops and great Indian kai at Dhaba on Highway.
Fave show here over the years, that you’ve maybe played in or attended?
I’d have to shout out Blue Divers at Last Place a couple of years back. They’re a band from Wollongong who makes really beautiful ambient music. I kinda just happened upon that show and now I listen to their music A LOT.
I also miss doing the ‘Flight Mode’ ambient shows at Never Project Space too, lots of great nights were had. I also had a lot of fun opening for Fur Patrol in my other band Nicholas Joseph at Last Place not too long ago too.
Big thanks to Nick for taking the time to A our Qs. Catch Big Sigh on tour soon!