Dinosaur Pile-Up vocalist Matt Bigland has been by way of the wringer. After the Leeds-based alt. rockers launched the killer album Celeb Mansions in 2019, Bigland spent a lot of the pandemic out and in of hospitals after he broke out in painful ulcers throughout his physique.
Now, fortunately, he’s on the mend. With a prognosis – ulcerative colitis – and remedy plan, Bigland obtained married in 2022 and the band’s new album, I’ve Been Higher, is an absolute belter, precisely the type of defiant comeback that rock’n’roll was made for, all large riffs and belligerent choruses within the face of hardship.
Celeb Mansions felt just like the second Dinosaur Pile-Up actually hit their stride. The place did all of it go fallacious?
The making of Celeb Mansions was truly fairly bleak. We’d been touring 11:11 into the bottom, there weren’t any label choices, we have been drained and there was no cash. We determined that Celeb could be the very last thing we ever do, so we needed it to be fucking ace. We began making it, and Parlophone obtained , so we despatched them Thrash Metallic Cassette they usually have been all in. Complete reversal!
However you weren’t fairly out of the woods. When did your well being points begin popping up?
Throughout the making of Celeb, I began getting these mouth ulcers. I do know you may get them from being drained or confused, however I used to be getting so many they’d make me speak humorous and I couldn’t deal with doing vocals. All the things went downhill from there. At one level I obtained placed on a six-man ward, and three of them died. It was scary as a result of they couldn’t actually determine what was occurring and why it was like my throat was collapsing at factors.
In any case that, how do you write an album that doesn’t simply sound like [English doom metal stalwarts] My Dying Bride?
Simply because it was a really tough couple of years doesn’t imply my spirit has been damaged. I really like music that will get me pumped and makes me wish to occasion – like Presidents Of The USA’s debut album.
So what’s probably the most defiant tune on the brand new report?
About To Lose. It’s a raging tune. It feels so highly effective and robust, however I do know precisely how weak I used to be after I recorded that. I needed to do the vocals again and again as a result of my voice was too weak from being laid on the sofa or hospital beds for a 12 months. However listening to that now’s empowering.
Dinosaur Pile-Up have shared phases with some iconic bands over time. What’s the most effective recommendation you’ve been given by any of them?
Pixies, Weezer, Sum 41, The Offspring… we’ve executed fairly nicely. Lately I went out with [his wife and musician] Karen [Dio] when she supported Limp Bizkit, and getting to speak to Fred Durst was actually cool. He’s a shrewd businessman. However the greatest lesson from Fred, from Noodles, from Sum 41, is behave – to be cool and nonetheless down-to-earth.
What does the brand new album imply for Dinosaur Pile-Up?
It’s a monument to our resilience. The one piece of recommendation I’d give to anybody is: don’t stop. You don’t know what’s across the nook and the most important a part of that is staying within the sport. Typically, to make your greatest work it’s important to take a look at it as the very last thing you’re ever going to do.
I’ve Felt Higher is out now by way of Mascot. Dinosaur Pile-Up play London’s Electrical Ballroom tomorrow evening (September 13) earlier than US dates subsequent month.
