Big Deal

When you start a group with someone and decide to name it ‘Big Deal’, you perhaps attract a little more critique than you might otherwise, especially if the music you are making is not such a big deal. This however, isn’t a problem for Alice Costelloe and Kacey Underwood as their dreamy, acoustic exploration of love and its myriad of pitfalls is one that is proving to be very listen-able. Keen to find a little bit more about the band and the man behind it, I caught up with Kacey Underwood to talk about touring, high school and the artistic side of life…

Kollektivnye: Hey Kacey, what have you been doing today?

Kacey Underwood: We’ve just been writing, trying to put together tracks for the next record.  I know it’s quite early but we want to have a lot of material ready so.

K: Can you tell us anything about how the record might sound?

KU: No, not really. We’re sort of still figuring that out actually. We’ve got plenty of time, but we find it hard to write whilst touring so we’re writing as much as we can right now.

K: Well the video for ‘Talk’ got such incredible feedback. It’s on Rolling Stone which is super exciting. Well done. Do you think it’s important to be involved in the arty side of the band?

KU: We’re really happy about that. It was a surprise to us so, so we hope to the people that might not have heard of us would get a chance to see us because we’re spending some time in the States and are touring there. It’s incredibly hard, I mean there are bands that are very well established in the UK that have a very tough time getting a bit of luck in the US.  But since I’m American it’s kind of important to us, that we’re able to spend some time there ‘cos I get a bit homesick. We have learned really quickly that it really is extremely important to stay involved with all things like that, whether it’s a video or art work, or even photography and things like that. It’s really important, almost as important as the music.  We’re quite involved with this video which was nice. Our previous ones we were taking a backseat and in this one we had a bit more time to make it go how we wanted it too.

K: Yeah, well that’s so important because it’s more personal and genuine.

KU: Yeah, because I think when you watch things you can always sense whether it’s really true to the artist or musician doing it. I think there’s nothing worse than looking at a video and you don’t feel like it fits, it just doing feel right when you’re watching it.

K: Do you paint and photography as a hobby outside of being in the band?

KU: Yeah, I think me and Alice are both really interested in art. I, when I was a kid thought I was going to be an artist and it wasn’t until I started playing guitar, sort of late in high school that I decided I wanted to do something else.  I think we feel more comfortable making music right now. We like to get involved with other things as well with the band.

K: Where are you from in America?

KU: California.

K: Where abouts?

KU: I grew up in the desert, near a town called Joshua Tree, about two and half hours from Los Angeles.  My family is all scattered around California. It’s nice because we’re going to play our first gig in the States in New York, and then we’re going to SXSW, then Los Angeles and that’ll be the first time anyone in my family will have heard me play music.  I don’t often get nervous about gigs but that I’m sure I’ll be quite nervous for this one.

K: Yeah, the pressure’s on!

KU: Yeah (laughs) the pressure’s on, in a different way.

K: When is this tour starting?

KU: I think it’s the first week of March. We’re doing a few dates in Europe at the end of this month, and then going straight over to New York and SXSW.

K: Who are you touring with?

KU: In America we’re going to be touring with a band called 254 and Nikki and The Doves.

K: Has Alice been to America before?

KU: She’s never been. It’ll be her first time going which is really cool. She’s really exciting except she’s had to deal with the American Embassy. They’re really difficult. I don’t have that problem so that’s nice.

K: It’ll be a great experience for you guys, because you’ll probably have amazing turnouts and a completely different set of audience to  those in Europe.

KU: Yeah, I think it will be different. I don’t know what to expect , I’m just hoping there’s some people down at the gigs but I really don’t know what to expect. Hopefully it’ll be nice and it’ll feel a bit different to crowds here, and I’m going to get to see my family so that helps.

K: You mentioned you guys are playing SXSW. Are there any festivals you’re desperate to play at this year?

KU: Well there’s a few festivals we missed last year, that we’d like to play. We’d love to play Glastonbury and Latitude, End of The Road, Bestival.  Last year we got to play Reading and Leeds, End Of The Road and a few others. Our dream would be to play Coachella because that’s about half an hour from where I grew up in the desert. Hopefully next year.

K: Yeah, I was so bummed you guys didn’t play at Latitude. The whole ‘woods’ ambience would’ve really fit so well with the band! This year though, you guys need to be there!

KU: Hopefully, yeah it would be nice. We were aiming for it but it’s quite a hard festival to get on to. I’ve been to it, it’s actually the first festival I’ve ever been to and I really enjoyed it. It’s just really pretty. Having gone to Reading and Leeds, I mean as far as bands go it’s great, but as far as the atmosphere goes it’s pretty..

K: Grotty.

KU: (laughs). Yeah, it’s pretty hectic and kinda carnival type, whereas Latitude felt, natural.

K: As it’s a new year, did you make a new year’s resolution?

KU: Not really, resolutions always feel like those things that you’re never going to stick to. I think when it comes around we will aspire to try to work harder, because last year I was still working and going to school and Alice was still going to school so when we were making a record we had a million other things going on. When we were touring, we’d be coming back and going to work, shuffling, juggling. We made it work, but we’re really looking forward to this year, being able to really work on it and make it better. I think there’s a resolution in there.

K: This is your year to rock. I’m really feeling it!

KU: I sure hope so. I really hope so. We’re not touring right now so we’re kind of quiet trying to make the best of our time because you know the record just came out in America last week so it feels like we had a bit of time in the UK and we kinda feel like we should be working hard on something new. So I think the plan is in the winter we’ll record another record, and put it out in the spring of the next year.

K: Quite a lot of Big Deal’s songs talk about young love and doing homework. How the experience of High School for you?

KU: It was really horrible. It’s part of the stuff that feeds into our stuff. I think a lot of people hated that time in their life. I think a lot of it is looking back on it and sort of not see it in such a negative way and see it for the positive things. A lot of the stuff was just us writing in a way that, I don’t know… Even though the lyrics sound very literal, a lot of the time we’re not trying to be literal. I think some of it is in the sense Alice was still in school and we’re writing and she’s talking about homework, well not homework, but the idea of not doing what you’re meant to be doing.

K: What was the most important thing you learnt from being in High School?

KU: I kinda learned how to escape High School. In high school I started learning guitar and drawing comic books and building my own radios and things like that. I think it’s a valuable thing for anybody to be able to have something you can retreat into. That’s how I got into music, you know you listen to good music and you feel like that person is kind of talking to you or speaking to you or that person knows what you’re feeling. So high school, yeah if anything taught me how to escape.

K: Were you in a stereotypical clique? Or friends with everyone?

KU: No. I was very much kind of a wall flower at school. I kinda went to school and went home. I was very much invisible, I mean I didn’t get bullied or anything. Looking back on it I would’ve liked to have been more social, but everyone has their fantasy of going back with what you know now.

K: If you had to get a motto tattooed on your body, what would it be and why?

KU: I don’t have any tattoos. (laughs) I’m really against tattoos, but if I had to..

K: Yeah, if you had a gun to your head

KU: I would probably just put ‘call Mom and Dad’

K: Loving it. So you’d never consider getting that in your life?

KU: No, probably not, but I’ve never figured out something that would be worth having there forever but that’s not a bad one. Something like that.

K: At the moment are there any bands you’re really loving ..or really hating?

KU: Ooh, I’ll stay away from hating, because it’s not a very attractive thing, but there’s a lot of stuff we really dislike unfortunately. We both really love Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene and there are some bands around London we like as well. There’s a band called PAWS from Glasgow that we like. We’re both really looking forward to the new Smashing Pumpkins album that’s meant to be coming out.

K: Around London what’s your favourite place to see live music?

KU: There’s a local venue a few blocks away, a bit dingy and dirty but has really nice atmosphere called The Shacklewell Arms.

K: So we all Valentine’s Day is coming up. Wooooo Yeah. Do you have any special arrangements/romantic things planned?

KU: No, no, not at all.  I always feel like a bit of a sucker when I do something on Valentine’s Day, cos it just seems like a bit of a scam. I like being romantic, that’s important but

K: Do you never get any cards from secret admirers?

KU: No, God no! (laughs) Nothing like that. Did you ever, when you went to school did they ever do those Valentines grams?

K: Yes, or my mom would send me one saying ‘love your secret admirer’ and I’d get really excited.

KU: I would’ve felt so much better if someone sent one, but I never once got one.  That’s how invisible I was, not even my parents!

K: Maybe this year, everything will change and you’ll get loads of fan mail with love hearts all over them!

KU: Yeah, maybe! That would be pretty funny. I mean, we got one letter back in November when we played Kingston and someone came with a letter from their friend who was in Japan. Sweetest thing. We kept it because it was such a special thing, this kid cared enough to write this letter and say that they wanted to be  there and that they hoped that we’d come to Japan. You know, it was really sweet.

K: That’s so cute! I also think it’s crucial for a band to be receptive to fans. I’ve had experiences asking bands for pictures who say ‘No.’

KU: I’ve met people I admire before and you never know how there day’s been going and 350 days out of the year they might’ve said ‘yeah of course’. It’s hard being in a band because you have to remind yourself that someone has cared enough to come and see you. I always think it’s nice to meet people and see a tiny bit of what the rest of the world is like. I guess this is why people who are really famous can’t go out, which is really sad. That seems like a pretty miserable place to be.

K: Do you ever feel pressure with the aesthetics of the band, to wear skinny skinny jeans, working that ‘rugged’ kind of look going on.

KU: I know what you’re saying. It’s so silly. We haven’t had to do photos in a long time which is great, but when you have to do photos you start thinking in that way. Luckily when we’re playing live and stuff like that we try not to think about those kinds of things. Once you start thinking about that you’ll never be happy. I don’t think anyone in the history of the earth has ever been like ‘yeah I’m physically perfect, I’m exactly what the world thinks I should be’. To me people are always most attractive when they’re just comfortable in their own skin.

To find out more about Big Deal, check out their Myspace