There’s something really exciting about a band that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still being completely serious about the music. Big Truck seem to sit right in that space, combining melodic songwriting with a British edge, a little humour and so much energy!
I caught up with Laurie Vincent to talk about Big Truck’s latest single, Rebounder, the influences behind their music, recording their upcoming album and what fans can expect from their upcoming in-store tour.
If you’re completely new to Big Truck, Laurie recommends starting with Rebounder, the band’s most recent single. “It gives you an insight into the lyrical themes and then also the melodic identity of the band,” he explains. “It’s kind of got a bit of everything that we’re about in it.”
That mix of melody and personality is something that runs throughout Big Truck’s music, with Laurie drawing inspiration from a wide range of artists he grew up listening to. Rather than choosing one single influence, he points to names including Jamie T, The Cure, New Order, Joy Division, The Smiths and The Streets.
“It’s very British sounding, I think,” he says.
While those influences might give you an idea of where Big Truck are coming from, their newer material also represents a slightly different side of the band. Laurie describes the latest music as softer and more melodic than some of their previous work, while still keeping the humour and cheekiness that have always been part of his songwriting.
“There’s a sort of tongue-in-cheek identity or a slight cheekiness to who I am musically that translates through all of it,” he says. “But this is definitely like the softer side, more melodic, not as angry. But there’s definitely still some humour in there, I think, and that feels like me.”
When it comes to dream collaborations, Laurie doesn’t have to think for long. His choice is Big Thief, a band he describes as “the best band in the world,” with Adrienne Lenker being one of his favourite lyricists of all time.
Although making music together would obviously be a dream, Laurie jokes that he’d be just as happy simply hanging out with the band.
“I’d just love to go and hang out,” he says. “I wouldn’t even mind if we didn’t make music.”
One of the biggest highlights for Big Truck so far came during the recording of their album at Marshall Studios last August. The entire record came together in just four days, something Laurie admits he initially didn’t think was possible.
“It surpassed any expectations I ever had, and it’s the best recording experience of my life,” he says.
The album itself had been building for around eight months before the band entered the studio. Laurie spent that time demoing material, while the band rehearsed whenever they could and played small gigs at the Sussex Arms in Tunbridge Wells. Those shows became an important part of the process, allowing them to figure out whether the songs actually worked live while they were still learning them.
Then came the studio. With only four days to record, there wasn’t much room for hesitation. After spending the first day setting everything up and managing two takes of two songs, the band had to record six songs on both day two and day three. Day four was then dedicated to Laurie’s vocals.
The result was a recording process that was ambitious, fast-paced and heavily focused on capturing the band playing together in a room.
“There’s no real overdubs,” Laurie explains. “There’s the occasional few bits, but it captures an energy because you know that it has to get done.”
For Laurie, that pressure actually became one of the biggest strengths of the recording. Instead of having endless studio time where songs can lose momentum, the four-day deadline forced the band to commit and keep moving.
“It’s like born out of necessity rather than when you have these long studio sessions with no deadline,” he says. “Sometimes you run into like a lack of energy, and you stall, where
as I think only having four days made it happen.”
If the entire album had to be summed up in just three words, Laurie keeps it simple: spiritual, indie, pop.
More than anything, though, he wants the shows to feel connected and genuinely human.
“A completely joyful experience of connection with us, human experience,” he says.
And that seems like a pretty fitting way to describe what Big Truck are building…..
Music that doesn’t feel overly restricted by genre, but instead focuses on energy, personality and the experience of being together in a room.
But wait, there's more!
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