Interview by Geno McGahee
The UK rock band Big River has been earning quite a following with their heavy blues music. Scared Stiff caught up with the band to discuss their music, future projects and what got them into the game…
GM: Can you introduce yourself to the public? How would you describe your band, your style, your message?
Hi, I’m Damo, the guitarist in Big River. Our style is Heavy UK British Blues Rock. No frills, no nonsense, just great songs written for people that enjoy our music.
GM: What got you into music?
My Dad was a roadie / tech for various U.K. bands in the late 60’s / early 70’s. He always had an album playing when he was home, Music was always around me, my Grandmother always had the radio on, I guess I just subconsciously absorbed it all. I am a Musical Sponge! H(Laughs)
GM: What musicians/bands were your inspirations?
As a young kid I was really into Eric Clapton, his phrasing & style really moved me, he had a huge comeback in the 80’s & was everywhere so I latched onto that & from him I discovered the others (Page, Blackmore, Beck etc).
I also really took interest in the local musicians, as a young kid learning to play, you can learn so much from the old Road Dogs. In my town we had our own Rock Star, Geoff Whitehorn. He played for Elkie Brooks back in the 80’s & when he wasn’t touring he played locally, I used to sneak in the pubs & watch him avidly, never taking my eyes off what his hands were doing.
Collectively as a band we have varied influences, this makes for a great melting pot when we collaborate on songwriting.
GM: Talk about your latest album. What should the public expect?
This is our debut album, “Redemption” – with this we proved to our audience that as well as putting on a great live performance, we capture that energy in the studio and got the powerful sound down on tape.
Our songs vary from Heavy Hard Hitting Balls out Rockers to Power Ballads. And we appeal to everyone!
GM: What has been the best experience you’ve had being in the business?
The amazing reception to our debut album, this gave us a purpose as a band & a realization that people are interested and they do want to hear our music.
We’ve also had some fantastic support slots / festival appearances which has given us the opportunity to meet some very well respected artists in the business.
GM: What has been the worst experience you’ve had?
Probably how difficult and challenging it can be to get the band name “out there”, there are hundreds of thousands of different bands, so you need to do something a little different to set yourself apart from the others. It’s a real difficult ride sometimes, faced with tough challenges and very challenging people. If you’re driven & determined and believe in what you have, you’ll get through to the other side!
GM: With the changing mediums in the distribution of music, how difficult is it to make a living in the business?
You’ll find unless you’re a household name, most bands / musicians have day jobs. To make a living you’ll need to be on the road constantly. Streaming / Digital services are amazing tools to get your music heard, but they don’t pay enough, therefore profit can only really be made on merch sales, this is the same for big name bands too.
GM: Any final thoughts?
A very well-known artist said to me once: “Believe in yourself, don’t give up.” A simple but strong bit of advice.
Check us out on Facebook www.facebook.com/bigriverblues
Check out our album “Redemption” available on all major digital platforms.
