Photo Credit: Press

We sat down with Johnny Took of BIIG TIME to discuss the formation of the band, what it is like working creatively with his brother Matty, the band’s debut UK headline tour, plus what we can expect from their debut album ‘200K’.

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What has the reception been like for your new single ‘Bigger Than Nothing’?

Johnny: It has been good. We had only released one song before, back in 2020. Biig Time hasn’t had the greatest opportunity to get a full body of work out there yet. For those in the DMA’S circle, they know there is another band amongst us. People have been loving the single, they like the vibe, they like that kind of noisey, pop melodies. A big feature of Biig Time is that we sing in harmony. It makes it unique in that regard. I am buzzing to get the rest of the album out to people. I am really proud of the songs, how it sounds. We recorded it all ourselves, it has that DIY element to it which is really cool.

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Your previous single ‘With You’ was released 5 years ago. What is the reason for the gap in releasing new music?

Johnny: It was mainly because DMA’S has been so busy. Matty was doing his own thing with Planet too, so the timing really wasn’t right. What you will find is the songs on the Biig Time record, which are either written by Matty or myself, have built up over the years. They are songs that haven’t worked for Planet or DMA’S, but are still really important songs for us. The idea of releasing them as and when, wasn’t really appealing to us. 

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How do you find working with Matty in an artistic and creative environment?

Johnny: It’s good. It forces us to hang out, even though we are best mates anyway. We live in different cities at the moment, but when we did the album we both lived in Melbourne at the time. Even now, we have to get together to rehearse. We have a UK tour coming up, and that gives us something to look forward to, together. It’s good for our relationship. We dont really fight. We were really close throughout our childhood, so there is no bullshitting in the studio. We are on a similar level, creatively and also personally.

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Has it brought you together as siblings, even though you have a close relationship already?

Johnny: It has solidified it in a way. The album is called ‘200K’, which is the name we used to busk under in our early-20’s. We picked it because it kind of looks like Took, and under that name is how we paid rent and stuff. We were always close through that experience, but to have an excuse to get together, travel the world and make music, it’s been awesome.

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What can fans expect from the album?

Johnny: We wanted to make a fun, upbeat album. We love noisy guitars, poppy melodies, harmonies and basically that is what you’re gonna get. 

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How was the record structured?

Johnny: There are some songs that Matty has had for a while, they were going to be used for Planet. They are now on a hiatus, so we reworked those songs with me singing them. We tweaked the lyrics on those. ‘Loves Wealth’ is over 10 years old, and has become one of my favourite songs on the album. I had great aspirations for some of the songs to become DMA’S songs, but there are a lot of variables you have to take into account. I’m happy that Biig Time has become a vehicle where we can bring those songs and work on them together, and become our own collaboration. 

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‘200K’ is scheduled for release on 9th May. Can we expect a new single before then?

Johnny: I’m not 100% sure yet. We might release one more single, or it will be the whole album. It comes out a week before the UK tour starts, which is good because it’s fresh and on people’s minds.

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Having toured the UK regularly with DMA’S, do you have an expectation with how the first Biig Time tour is going to go down?

Johnny: Our focus with Biig Time from the get go was the UK. The crowds and the people have been so generous to me on the DMA’S front. I also know things take time. To be honest I am excited about starting from square one again. The shows arent in the biggest venues, they may not sell out, but that is the work you have to do. I am excited to talk to people face to face, sign records after the gigs and hear their thoughts. That is going to be really important for Biig Time. 

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Do you have any other plans for 2025 that you can tease?

Johnny: It all depends on how the album is received. Personally, I would like to do another tour and some festivals. One positive from social media is that you can give each song its own little moment, even if it is one of those twenty second videos. Each song should get its own time time shine. Having a project with my brother, it’s not a short term thing. We are planning on doing this forever so to speak.

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What are your rider essentials when on tour?

Johnny: A bunch of Guinness, a bunch of tea. It is all pretty boring. When you realise you are the one that is paying for your rider, you don’t put as much stuff on there. It is different with DMA’S as I dont sing with them, so I have to take care of my voice more with Biig Time.

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