British duo BIG SPECIAL fuses spoken-word passages with sung vocals over a hard-edged blend of punk, hip-hop, and electronica. The pair first surfaced in 2022 via the EP DOOM SONG, released a sequence of singles and further EPs, and then delivered their first album, POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES, in 2024.
Formed in Birmingham by vocalist Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney, the two met while attending college and initially played together in local bands before parting ways. They resumed their collaboration in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Taking cues from Tom Waits, Idles, and Sleaford Mods, the duo channeled opposition to the British conservative government, social problems, and working-class hardship into a hybrid of spoken word laced with punk and electronica. Their opening EP, DOOM SONG, arrived in 2022, earned BBC airplay, and prompted live dates. BLACK COUNTRY GOTHIC, their second EP, followed several months later. After its release they signed with So Recordings, which reissued the track “SHITHOUSE” in May 2023. More songs appeared throughout the year, alongside U.K. headline tours and a support slot with Sleaford Mods. Preparing their debut album, they issued the singles “DUST OFF/START AGAIN,” “BUTCHER’S BIN,” and “BLACK DOG/WHITE DOG” early in 2024. POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES reached the U.K. Top 40 upon its May arrival.
