British duo Big Special have announced their upcoming EP 'O'Joy!', set for release on June 5 via SO Recordings. The announcement comes alongside the release of their new single 'Only Free When Sleeping', a reflective track that captures the EP's emotional essence.
Vocalist Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney describe the EP as a companion piece to their previous work, built from "all the fallen parts of our first two albums." The release follows their recent singles 'Sluglife', 'Plaintive Native', and 'Dragged Up A Hill (And Thrown Down The Other Side)', continuing their exploration of vulnerable, soulful punk.
"We wanted to keep the balance of an emotional journey, like watching a movie with your eyes closed," the band explained about their creative approach.
The new single 'Only Free When Sleeping' serves as a poignant introduction to the EP's themes. The duo describes it as "a head-down walking song" that reflects those moments when negativity feels inescapable.
"When all that shows up in observation is negative, when all news is bad news and you just look at your feet and curse the cruelty and the faff of the modern day and all the days before that lead to this feeling," they shared. "When you just wanna go to bed and let your dreams make up a different story for you to smile at, just for a little bit, until you wake again. Head down, stomp through another day."
The track embodies the EP's introspective, slightly melancholic atmosphere while maintaining the raw emotional honesty that has defined Big Special's rapid rise in the music scene. Fans can expect 'O'Joy!' to continue the duo's tradition of creating music that resonates with the complexities of modern life.