Big Eater
Big Eater’s big boy Matt Bachmann; photographed by Jake Muilenburg.
Seattle by Brooklyn’s Big Eater released the album In Between on cassette last fall on Help Yourself Records, and it is our pleasure and privilege to present the Adam Gundersheimer video for “Lazy Days”. A force founded by Matt Bachmann (formerly of iji & Mega Bog), joined by the equally talented presences and contributions from Derek Baron and James Krivchenia drum offerings, saxophone supplied by Lucas Ellman, with additional vocals by Mega Bog’s own frontwoman Erin Birgy; their album In Between was made to be the perfect companion for those late and long nights where midwestern dreams spring from the imagination and heart (largely recollections that recall the artist’s own Chicago upbringing). In Between is the album for our era, where all the vulnerable intimate details are opened up and placed on display in ways that are intimate (hear “Insideout“), the perfect twee pop pedestal of expressed embarrassment over assessments (hear “Wrong about Everything“), to the “nothing ever lasts” thrashing (“Parked the Car on Union“), to the moving portraits of bedroom rock reflections on coming of age concerns and more (such as “Growing Up“). In Between is the album for all of us, it reminds us all in different ways of where we’ve been, what we’ve gone through, with notions of where we want to go in this world.
The other big single from the album we haven’t discussed yet is the mighty “Lazy Days”, the crown jewel in Big Eater’s trophy cabinet that bridges the northwest vibe from the HYR set with a skilled DIY pragmatism found back east across the Don Giovanni, DDW imprints and more. The Adam Gundersheimer and Vanessa Haddad video takes you on a time elapsed day in the life of Matt’s side job as a vegetable courier, making his way about NYC, making deliveries, & making friends. All the while animated drawings and designs in various hues are drawn onto the video that provide’s a privy view to one of Mr. Bachmann’s regular work day. Cameos from folks like Dylan, Hanna, Pete, Sophia, & Vanessa are seen throughout the course of the artist’s busy schedule of coordinating & connecting veggie logistics. The experience and random moments are highlighted with playful animated drawings of airplanes, skyline outlines, apples, to sequences of a wondering dog, a skeleton, to the shapes of random individuals. The joke of this video that chronicles the sequences of a hectic work schedule is shown with a certain smiling serenity to contrast the busy matter at hand, highlighting the song’s gentle and lackadaiscal style. Read our latest interview with Mat Bachmann.
Interested in hearing about how the album In Between was written and then subsequently recorded.
I wrote and recorded In Between two years ago when I moved to New York. It was the first record I did all on my own for the most part and I totally obsessed over it. I was an opportunist recorder—recorded with the instruments/gear I could borrow from friends when ever I had the time. I basically thought about it nonstop for a year. Learned a lot from doing it!
The elapsed time and plethora of effects that make up the Slopehouse video for “Lazy Days” is transfixing. Can you describe for us what the video translation was like?
My buddies Adam Gundersheimer and Vanessa Haddad shot and edited the video. They’re work is so inspiring and I love them so much as friends and artists. I told Adam I wanted to do a video of me at my veggie delivery job and he had the idea to speed up an entire work day. We planned out funny things to do/people to meet along the drive which proved to be quite a task! Vanessa did the animating which took the video to another level. I literally cry every time I see the dog animation—it’s so amazing! They worked on it for almost two years!
Beach-side with Big Eater’s Matt Bachmann; press photo courtesy of the artist.
What else does Big Eater have in store for us in 2016?
Brewing kombucha, recording a new record and going on a lil’ tour in the summer. Band stuff [laughs].
What should people be paying attention to right now in 2016?
The people they love.
Biggest causes right now that everyone should be paying attention to?
Whatever is calling to you! I’m trying to be more aware of what’s happening around me, but I could definitely act more. Climate change, women’s health rights, the fucking poisoning water in Flint, and police brutality have been most present on my mind. But I have no right to tell anyone what they should do– I need to act more first.
Big Eater’s In Between is available now on cassette from Help Yourself Records.
