BIG IDEAS - Highway (Official Lyric Video)

BIG IDEAS

LONDON-BASED TRIO BIG IDEAS RELEASE DEBUT EP,

THE AMERICAN DREAM, MIXED BY BILLY BUSH, TODAY

EP TRACKS, “THE AMERICAN DREAM” AND “HURRICANE,” RECENTLY

FEATURED AS PART OF NPR MUSIC’s “NEW MUSIC FRIDAY”

SHORT FILM FOR “THE AMERICAN DREAM” AND NEW LYRIC VIDEO

FOR “HIGHWAY” DIRECTED BY BEN LANKESTER NOW STREAMING ONLINE

THREE-SONG EP, THE AMERICAN DREAM, OUT NOW VIA ABSENTEE RECORDINGS

“Propulsive pop confidence” – Vanyaland

STREAM: THE AMERICAN DREAM EP

(IN FULL ON SPOTIFY)

WATCH: "HIGHWAY" MUSIC VIDEO

(DIRECTED BY BEN LANKESTER)

Absentee Recordings and London-based creative trio Big Ideas are excited to announce the release of the band’s debut three-song EP, The American Dream. Sonically inspired by everything from Springsteen to a-ha, Big Ideas is the brainchild of Nathan Nicholson and Adam Harrison, both of the acclaimed UK rock band The Boxer Rebellion, and award winning filmmaker, writer and photographer Ben Lankester.

Exploring their instinctive responses to the current state of the world, themes of hope, grief and rebirth feature heavily in this exquisite, independent and self-funded audio/visual endeavor. Mixed by the legendary Billy Bush and drawing from musical influences from the Seventies, Eighties and Nineties, The American Dream EP will bury deep into your ears and then deep into your soul. Stream and purchase The American Dream EP on all platforms HERE.

“Highway,” the latest track to be lifted from the EP, is an ageless story of leaving the comfort and sometimes pain of where you grew up and seeing it differently in the rearview. With strong musical nods towards The Killers and Kings of Leon, the track builds from simple reminiscence to strong emotional memory, upping the stakes with added instrumentation and intensity as it heads toward its epic crescendo. Watch the lyric video for “Highway” directed by Lankester HERE.

The American Dream EP cover art

A song about mislaid patriotism and the great potential in us all, the EP was led by “The American Dream” (feat. Johnny Colla of Huey Lewis and the News), a song inspired by the misunderstood "Born In The USA,” which can be interpreted as ironic or as an uncomplicated celebration. “Whilst writing, we had the idea for a song that commented on two realities that exist in the world today,” the band said. “'The American Dream' embodies that drive to improve life for the individual–on the surface, easy to understand ... like our song. But that short sightedness ignores challenges that can only be solved as a collective. The dream you’re sold isn’t always the reality you end up paying for.”

As an urgent response to the recent U.S. election and enormous societal challenges, Lankester created a short film for the title track. The video is a personal character study of a young, aspiring boxer–a visceral, pitch-black depiction of one man’s journey through contemporary America. “What I relished about the challenge of creating the video for ’The American Dream' was the dichotomy between the seemingly breezy surface of the song and the very contemporary dystopian themes running almost hidden underneath,” Lankester said. “Could we push this dark narrative concept as far as we could whilst ensuring the film always worked in service to the music? This was the challenge that was a pleasure to tackle head on.” Watch the music video for "The American Dream" on Vimeo HERE.

Music by Big Ideas will be released as a collection of EPs, each led by a film of incredible artistic quality. Pairing Nicholson’s compassionate and melodic writing with Harrison’s ability to create sonic worlds of introspective depth and lively rhythm has generated a magic alchemy of sparkling pop-infused grooves and thought-provoking lyrics. Each track featured on this impressive debut showcase tells a story that is both personal and universal, building on The Boxer Rebellion’s knack for allowing the audience its own space for individual interpretation.