News

Chicago-based indie rock band THE BIGGER EMPTY will be releasing a collection of four EPs titled "Lakes & Oceans" via La Escalera. They’ll be kicking off the series with "Lakes & Oceans Vol 1 : Michigan" which is set for a February 24 release. A new volume will be released quarterly throughout 2017.

“The overall theme of this project is about relationships, mostly romantic relationships but not entirely,” explains frontman Mike Felumlee, best known for his drumming in the Smoking Popes (Destination Failure, Born To Quit) and former drummer in Alkaline Trio (played and toured on From Here To Infirmary). “I’ve found that the ups and downs through our various relationships in our lives resemble the movements of great bodies of water. Sometimes they’re peaceful and calm and everything is great and beautiful. Other times they can be turbulent, terrifying and even dangerous.”

Musically, the band’s influences are relatively unsurprising: big feelings, loud guitars, and shameless hooks. Residing somewhere between the cynical sincerity of The Replacements and the dreamy melodicism of Nada Surf, with a sort of earnest cheekiness that falls somewhere between Superchunk and Superdrag. From the sudden loss of a loved one (“Take My Heart With You”) to the harmony-laden ballad about two people being stuck in miserable, abusive relationships that have found love and peace together (“Parachute”) to the lullaby for night owls (“Sleepy Head”) – The Bigger Empty examines both healthy and unhealthy relationships.   

Lakes & Oceans Vol 1 : Michigan was recorded at Chicago Sound Lab in Summit, IL and The Rockroom in Westmont, IL. It was engineered and produced by Mike Felumlee and bassist Reuben Baird and mixed and mastered by Felumlee.