Influenced by the deadpan irreverence of The Monks and Talking Heads, Big Bill is known for their darkly comic, nervy take on punk rock. Formed in 2011 by the Braden brothers, Eric and Cody, Big Bill has always embraced the “all are welcome” vibe of punk circa the early 1980’s, as embodied by Austin legends like Big Boys and The Dicks. From the get-go Big Bill stunned Austin audiences and won a dedicated following via their high energy live performances, pricking at the brain with absurd, imagistic lyrics, while pummeling the body with chaotic drums and throat-slicing guitar riffs. Though their brain-altering live show remains a huge part of their DNA, Big Bill’s music has evolved across many lineup changes– the current lineup being Eric Braden on vocals, Alan Lauer on bass, Alex Riegelman on guitar, and Jeff Olson on drums – stretching from the rawest, weirdest punk into shades of country, new wave and even quasi-classic rock. Even as the band’s ambition grows, that Outsider Art element to their music lives on.
Today Glide is excited to premiere the video for the band’s new single “Picture.” The slow burning work of indie rock buildings quietly into an impressive group tune that features dreamy guitar soloing and easygoing vocals to balance the infectious chorus. Reminiscent of the slacker rock of Luna alongside acts like Dr. Dog, Wilco and Lou Reed, the song eventually cuts loose in a joyous celebration. The video captures this swelling momentum alongside the laid back coolness of the band.
The band describes the inspiration and process behind the video and the tune:
“One of the themes of “Picture” is the concept of an artist continuing to find inspiration in a post-apocalyptic wasteland: “Staring at a bank, from the ruins of a drinking water tank. Every building’s a new hue for your paintbrush.” The chorus summarizes why an artist makes art, even in dire circumstances: “Make a picture/ so good/ that you might be/ finally understood.” Director John Valley came to us with a complete vision for this video, built around these themes. He said he wanted to frame the video around our lead singer Eric Braden holding a Polaroid — a picture, if you will — in a post-apocalyptic future Austin, and remembering various stages of Big Bill’s journey. Three stages are depicted in these memories, each one as a “freeze-frame.” The first one is a depiction of us as teenagers in a basement, listening to records and playing video games. In the second freeze-frame, Big Bill has become a rock band, and seems to be going through a darker place. The final freeze-frame scene is Big Bill performing a show. (Each of these scenes stems from more the elemental band journey than our own biography, necessarily.) During the third scene, a fan steps forward to take a photo of the band, and in that moment, we jump back to the future, with Eric holding the photograph, reminiscing about that night and the journey the band went through all those years ago. And finally, the reveal: we see that Eric is looking at a grave which apparently holds the bodies of the other 3 members of the band — apparently, they are being X’d off on the gravestone as if it’s a checklist. In the end, after all, all artists, whether they are understood in their lifetime or not, must die. Sometimes only our memories remain — or the art itself.”
WATCH:
