Big Wild has been on our radar since he amazed us with the work of art know as ‘La Brisa’. In the span of just a few years he’s gone from a promising SoundCloud start-up to a favourite in the electronic scene, touring with Odesza and releasing music through their Foreign Family label. He just released his debut EP Invincible and is gearing up for his headlining tour. Despite the success, he remains grounded and dedicated to creating quality music. We had the honour of connecting with Big Wild for an exclusive interview to chat about his connection with nature, what makes his live set unique and plans for new music. Check out the conversation below.
You recently moved to Santa Cruz. Did the move have any impact on your music?
It’s easier for me to focus cause it’s much quieter around here. I don’t have cars and sirens and all that random noise around me which is kind of nice.
The way I’ve been able to do that is to have some natural sounds or vibes to it.
Your music seems to embody elements of the nature. Can you speak a little bit about the connection between the natural world and your music? Do you draw inspiration from nature?
Part of it is just how when I work on music, I’m at a computer, inside, and a part of me just wants to be outside doing something. Now I can go outside and go hike in the Redwoods or go to the beach or whatever. So a part of that craving comes out in my music. Also I want my music to feel grounded too and have things that feel tangible in their life, rather than being really cerebral and have elements that are really weird or too out there. I want my music to have some grounding sense and some familiarity. The way I’ve been able to do that is to have some natural sounds or vibes to it.
What’s your favourite place in the world?
It’s tough to say because there is so many places that I get to visit but as far as getting away from things right now, it’s been going into the Santa Cruz mountains and hiking for a couple hours and just clear my head, if I’m stuck on something on a song or just tired of answering emails or whatever. It’s a been a really good way to just be in an environment that’s really beautiful and kind of majestic and just forget about things for a while. That’s kind of been my go to spot for decompressing.
If someone hasn’t seen your live set what should they expect?
My set is kind of like a DJ/live performance hybrid. It’s all my music or remixes and edits I’ve made and really what it comes down to is I like to bring a lot of different things together. I always try to get people to dance and have a good time. I also want people to a feel a strong emotion and a connection outside of just dancing. It’s kind of a wide spectrum of things I’m trying to convey. I play piano, drums, cajón, I whistle. It’s kind of like a one man band thing. I think the biggest standout for my set is that I want people to have a good time. I do experiment with with other emotions and things like that, but that’s the primary thing I want to convey. I think for people going to concert a lot of the time it’s a release or break from their everyday life and I’d like for me to bring a fun light-hearted vibe to that. I think it’s welcomed and a lot of people appreciate that. I like to bring a lot of energy too, it’s a very energetic vibe.
How do you go about selecting which instruments to play in each section of the live set?
It’s kind of mapped out. I know my set from the beginning of this tour coming up to the end is going to change throughout as I figure out, “hey maybe this part isn’t clicking through the mix as much, maybe I’ll scrap it and play something here instead.” I think if I want to drive home a groove or some kind of rhythm I’ll decide to go on the drums. Or if there’s a song I made that I really feel like a drum solo would work well somewhere in there I’ll start hashing out some ideas to solo something out. The same goes for melodic stuff if I just feel there’s a lead instrument or some kind of transition synth I can play between songs I’ll decide to learn a melodic thing for it. It’s really just how I feel I can really make the most of my performances. I try to pick really opportune spots that will highlight my playing and will also really compliment whatever music I’m playing over.
Has your live set changed the way you create music?
My music has definitely been influenced by going and seeing more shows and by being on the road and seeing how certain music connects with people. That said I’m not really thinking about how am I going to make this work live. I kind of just figure that out after. For me songwriting and production is always the first step and then I can always find a creative way to make it work live. That’s kind of the challenge and the fun in it. Seeing shows and seeing all different kinds of performers play has effected my own music and how I produce.
You’re gearing up for the Invincible tour. What are you most looking forward to?
I think what I’m looking most forward to is trying out the ideas I’ve been working on and also just to be playing at bigger venues and seeing more of my fans and playing out the EP too. I did a tour last year and this year is kind of the next step up in terms of venues and I have an EP now that I’m representing so it’s really exciting for me to be bringing that on the road and seeing how crowds react. Also just seeing things grow slowly over time is a really gratifying feeling for sure.
You’ve been working with Odesza for quite some time, from touring with them to putting out releases on their label. You mentioned in previous interviews that you’ve learned a lot. What was the best advice they’ve given you?
They give good advice if I’m stuck on a song or also kind of just figuring out how to release music or how to put my image as an artist together. That’s really where they’re most helpful to me in general is kind of bringing that whole project together and seeing that big overarching view. They’ve really given me some solid advice on the topic for sure and I’ve always really appreciated that.
That was my first step in actual songwriting and I’m continuing to develop that and see how I can continue to get better.
You’ve been able to do a lot within your short career. What are you still hoping to achieve?
My goal besides touring and putting out the live shows is bringing a really great festival set and play to really large crowds and see how it all goes. In addition to that I’m going to continue to make music. I’ve already started on the next project. I kind of switched around my creative process a little bit. I think for a little while there I was maybe over thinking things or over-complicating things and I’ve brought things back to a more streamlined view of making music and I’ve found that I’ve been able to get out a lot of ideas a lot faster. So basically what I’m doing now is putting together projects and I’m going to continue to work on songwriting. Having written the lyrics and melody for ‘Empty Room’ and worked with IDA Hawk on ‘Invincible’ and then wrote the lyrics and sang on ‘Crickets’ on the EP. That was my first step in actual songwriting and I’m continuing to develop that and see how I can continue to get better. Looking at a lot of new music, touring and songwriting.
The EP is finally here. Can we expect more music from you this year?
I have a potential remix that might come out while I’m on tour. I also want to get together a mix series and start posting mixes up on SoundCloud. I’m always finding new music and I feel that’s just a good outlet to share that with people. I have a couple other songs, I’ve worked with some singers that I’m still working on. I’m definitely going to be having some new music out later in the spring and early summer to kick off the summer season.
