Big Thief Embrace Change and Find New Grounding on “Double Infinity“
By julia Evans, World-Today-News.com
[Image of Big Thief with caption: Big Thief wanted an “ecstatic feeling” to run through their sixth album, Double Infinity.(Supplied: 4AD/Remote Control)]
For 2,500 years,the Greek philosopher Heraclitus has reminded us that change is the only constant. Yet, despite this enduring truth, humans often struggle with flux. Perhaps that’s why we find solace in artists who not only acknowledge change but embrace it.
Brooklyn indie rock darlings Big Thief are masters of this art. Their music, a constantly evolving blend of folk-infused sounds, demands a comfort with shifting moods and textures. Each member’s restless creativity extends beyond the band, fueling individual projects that ultimately enrich their collective sound. And recently, they’ve faced a especially important shift.
Big Thief, however, remains a remarkably grounding force in the lives of its members, a creative hub to which they continually return. “Every time we go off and do our own solo things and do othre projects, it feeds back into our band,” explains frontwoman Adrianne Lenker in a recent interview with Double J’s Karen leng. “We take all the things that we learn, and we inevitably just grow and get better as musicians from each project. I think that always ends up coming back and filling up the Big Thief cup.”
The past couple of years have brought considerable disruption. Last year, founding bassist Max Oleartchik departed the band, a decision rooted in interpersonal dynamics. In a heartfelt social media post, the band acknowledged the profound impact of his contribution: “Our love for each other is infinite, and we are so grateful for all we have shared these many years together since the beginning of our journey as a band. we wouldn’t be who we are without Max. This separation marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one for Big Thief.”
this “new era” required the remaining trio – Lenker,drummer James Krivchenia,and guitarist Buck Meek - to reimagine their sound without Oleartchik’s integral musical presence.
“It was a big emotional split for the band, and we needed a lot of time to regroup as the three of us and sort of ground down,” Krivchenia tells Double J. “We did a lot of writing and a lot of talking, and just kept growing this pile [of songs], trying to find what the center of gravity for the next record was going to be. Slowly there started to be this conglomeration of songs, were it’s like, ‘This feels kind of like the core.'”
Keywords: Big Thief, Adrianne Lenker, Indie Rock, Music, album Release, Double Infinity