It is not easy playing music in an established genre while also being creative and original. Many bands will take the safer approach and mostly emulate their favorite bands, which is perfectly fine. Then, there are the very few bands who, without deviating too far from the formula, sound completely fresh and creative. Big Eyes is one of those bands. Their songs stay within the general punk rock / power pop parameters. You won’t mistake them for a prog band. They didn’t invent a new music genre. They play short, catchy, high energy punk rock songs. The songwriting and execution is fantastic, but what makes them really stand out is Kaitlyn Eldrige’s guitar work. The sole songwriter (also singer/guitarist) in Big Eyes, Kaitlyn writes truly great and creative punk rock guitar riffs. Hear for yourself on the opening riffs to Stake My Claim and You Ain’t The Only One. Catchy, creative and original yet unmistakenly punk rock.
-Cédric N.
Name five songs that you consider “perfect songs” and explain why or what they mean to you.
ERIC BURDON – P.O. Box 500
I first heard this song only about a year and a half ago, and I listened to it at least 25 times the first day I heard it. I’ve always been a fan of the ANIMALS, but I really love this solo record for some reason. This song in particular has such a solid groove and totally rocks. I love the drum and bass swing, SO MUCH. The guitar solo is absolutely perfect. He completely nailed the vocals. Haha I could go on all day about this friggin song. So good.
ELTON JOHN – Love Lies Bleeding
This is actually the second half of the first song on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The entire song is amazing but I really love this second half. The lyrics always get me. Vocals are beautiful. THAT ENTIRE BASS TRACK, AHHH!! Just a truly well written song.
FLEETWOOD MAC – Can’t Go Back
This song is really simple but I just love it for some reason. The vocals are so good. I love Lindsey Buckingham.
ELO – So Serious
Another pretty “simple” song but it’s one of my favorite ELO songs for whatever reason. I really love 80s production, and Jeff Lynne is one of my all time favorite songwriters. I recently got to see ELO — they were absolutely fantastic!
GRAHAM NASH – On The Line
Graham Nash has such a beautiful voice. These lyrics get to me too. I’m a sap. Weird chord changes. The pedal steel guitar is amazing. Beautiful harmonies. That whole album is so good, agh!
Which music genre do you listen to the most? List your five favorite albums in that genre.
Classic rock, for sure. Top 5 all time favorite classic rock albums?! Oof that’s tough. Okay, not in any order, here they are!
ALICE COOPER – Love it To Death
CHEAP TRICK – Heaven Tonight
QUEEN – A Night at the Opera
BLUE OYSTER CULT – Blue Oyster Cult
THIN LIZZY – Black Rose
Your five favorite drummers of all time?
I think one of the rarest things to find is a solid, tasteful drummer. A lot of drummers just completely space out in their own world, and aren’t really paying attention to who they’re playing with, or the flow of the song. And then others play in a really robotic way without any personality, even worse, yikes….anyway! My top five favorite drummers are: Bun E. Carlos (CHEAP TRICK), Gilson Lavis (SQUEEZE), Brian Downey (THIN LIZZY), Pete Thomas (ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS), and Terry Chambers (XTC).
What’s the album you’ve listened to the most in your life? Do you still listen to it?
I’ve always been a person who gets completely obsessed with a band or album, and I’ll almost exclusively listen to that OVER and OVER for a few months, and then move on to other things. When I was a little kid it was the soundtrack to the movie Grease. In my early teens it was OPERATION IVY’s Energy, my late teens it was The REPLACEMENT’s Tim, my early twenties was Wild Honey by the BEACH BOYS, and most recently I’ve been completely obsessed with the entirety of the LEMON TWIGS discography. I actually did coincidentally listen to the Grease soundtrack last weekend though, haha.
What are some of your favorite song lyrics? Lyrics that have been important to you or that had an impact on you?
I’ve always loved PAUL WESTERBERG’s Punny lines. SQUEEZE and XTC always have pretty clever lyrics as well.
Do you have a favorite setting or place to listen to music? How does the setting influence the type of music you’ll listen to?
The type of music I’m listening to mostly depends on what else I am doing. If I am reading on the train, I’ll put on something I can have as background music, like a JOHN WILLIAMS soundtrack, or GIORGIO MORODER. If I’m driving, I probably will listen to something pretty energetic and “driving” to keep me focused like BLUE OYSTER CULT or THE HELLACOPTERS. If I’m at home and can give my full attention to the music, I’ll probably put on some “songwriter” albums like HARRY NILSSON or TODD RUNDGREN.
Do you have an absolute all time favorite band or musical artist? What makes them so special to you?
I would probably have to say CHEAP TRICK is my favorite band, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are the band I listen to the most at this point (Spotify currently says ELO is my most played artist). I got into Cheap Trick by reading the entirety of the liner notes on a Lit CD (my favorite band in 6th grade, LOL), and I have always loved them since. They are tough but sincere, rock while still pop, and I just absolutely love the songwriting, musicianship, and overall vibe. Also, guess what…Big Eyes is the name of a Cheap Trick song off the album In Color.
What are your ten favourite albums of all time? Name a standout track on each of these albums.
ALICE COOPER – Love it To Death – (Is It My Body)
My friend Mike got me this record when I was 19, it was my first ever Alice Cooper record and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.
IRON MAIDEN – Killers (Murders in the Rue Morgue)
When I was getting into punk in middle school, a few of my friends were getting into metal. This was the album (and band) that we all agreed on. I love the guitars on this song. The lyrics are also based an Edgar Allen Poe story, and I’ve been a big horror fan since childhood, so that struck a chord with me as well.
TOM PETTY – Damn the Torpedoes (Shadow of a Doubt)
Before I started Big Eyes, I was in a band called USED KIDS, and we did a handful of Tom Petty covers over the two years we were a band. This album is completely solid the entire way through. Every song is fantastic. I’m so grateful I got to see him play a couple years back. I was heartbroken when he passed away. RIP Tom Petty.
THE MUFFS – Blonder and Blonder (End It All)
I’ve loved the Muffs since I first heard them in early high school. This is definitely my favorite album of theirs. Amazing songwriting. Straightforward and poppy, while still being clever and well thought out. When Big Eyes first started we got a lot of Muffs comparisons, which was super flattering. I still love them to death and they will forever be a huge influence on my songwriting.
THE RAMONES – End of the Century (Danny Says)
I’ve been a HUGE Ramones fan since the 8th grade, but my favorite album of theirs continues to change every few years. It was Animal Boy for a while in my late teens and early twenties (I got a lot of shit for that, haha), and at this point I’d have to say it’s End of the Century. We actually covered I Can’t Make it on Time a few years back AND we were lucky enough to get to tour the US and Canada in 2017 opening for CJ RAMONE.
MICHAEL JACKSON – Bad (Man in the Mirror)
This album is SO GOOD. Always puts me in a great mood. It’s also a great record to throw on in the van when we are getting sick of hearing the 50th rock record in a row on a long drive. And Man in the Mirror definitely has the best key change in any song EVER.
SQUEEZE – Argybargy (Another Nail in my Heart) – This was the very first Squeeze record that I ever heard, when I was about 19 years old. Squeeze has definitely been a major influence on me since then, both musically and lyrically. Their lyrics are smart without being pretentious. Their songs are poppy AND super clever.
THIN LIZZY – Black Rose (Got To Give it Up)
There are so many reasons I love this band, and this album really summarizes it best. I’m a sucker for great songwriting, sappy lyrics, ripping solos, and guitar harmonies. So yeah, I really don’t need to say anything else on this one, haha.
BILLY JOEL – Glass Houses (I Don’t Want to be Alone)
A lot of people like to rag on Billy Joel, so I guess I fit the stereotype, being from Long Island — but I love Billy Joel. This album is by far his best though. It came out in 1980, and was influenced by the new wave and punk explosion of the late 70s so it’s more “rockin” than his earlier work. This song in particular sounds like ELVIS COSTELLO. My old band USED KIDS played and recorded a cover of You May Be Right (which I sang lead vocals on) and more recently, here is a video of me playing a cover of It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me a couple years ago on my friends’ “TV show” ShellShonic Shag-O-Vision.
BEE GEES – Main Course (All This Making Love)
I’ve listened to this album so many times over the last few years. The A side is pretty “disco,” but I’ve always thought the rock/disco rivalry was dumb as hell. Bee Gees are amazing songwriters and that’s all that matters. The B side is my favorite, every song completely rules. And those ballads always get me teary eyed.
Do you remember the first time you really appreciated an album or a song?
I remember the first time I noticed separate instruments being played as opposed to just a big “blob” of music. I was listening to BLINK 182 in 6th grade on my Discman and I remember hearing different parts of the drums being panned, and differentiating the bass from the guitars, hearing the different tracks, etc. It honestly did hit me all at once, and I started playing the guitar about 6 months after that.
What were you listening to in elementary school? then in high school? (Your favorite bands/records back then?) How much of that music is still a part of your playlists today? How have your musical tastes evolved since?
I had the Grease CD in elementary school, and a School House Rock ROCKS! tape. The first CD I bought myself (with Christmas money) was CHUMBAWUMBA in 4th grade but I only really listened to the hit. I bought THE OFFSPRING’s Americana in 5th grade and listened to it a ton. In high school I was really into a lot of “Ramonescore” stuff like THE QUEERS and SCREECHING WEASEL. I also loved THE RAMONES (obviously) and THE REPLACEMENTS. I definitely still love a lot of the bands I listened to in high school, but I can’t really say I’m into Chumbawumba. I do sing Grease songs at karoake occasionally!
What beloved music do you share with your parents (or children if you have kids)? Any specifics memories?
I didn’t grow up in a musical family. My mom still makes this brutally corny joke “I play… the radio!” from time to time. My parents listened to music here and there, but neither of them are musicians or anything. I actually can’t think of a single other musician in my family, even my extended family. I didn’t grow up in a soundproofed bubble or anything though. My dad had a lot of jazz records he listened to when I was a little kid – I only saw him on the weekends though. And my mom listened to a lot of MADONNA and early 90s dance music when I was real young. My dad also had a bunch of CDs that I rifled through in middle school. I ended up grabbing a JIMI HENDRIX greatest hits CD, NIRVANA In Utero, LED ZEPPELIN Coda and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Born To Run which all ended up being favorites of mine back then.
Most memorable show you’ve ever seen? What makes it stand out?
The past couple years I’ve been making an effort to see more “classic” bands that I might not have a chance to see for that much longer. Last summer I saw a stacked bill of CHEAP TRICK, HEART and JOAN JETT. I was mostly going to see Cheap Trick, although I am a fan of all 3 bands. Heart completely blew me away. My guitar heroes have ALWAYS been men, and watching Nancy Wilson play brought tears to my eyes and I have thought of that moment many times since.
Do you have any songs that are meaningful to you because you associate them with important events in your life?
It’s more-so artists for me. I have an ex who listened to a ton of FLEETWOOD MAC, so any time I hear them I always think of him. Another for BRIAN ENO. Another for THE CARS.
What music or artist has been the most influential to you as a songwriter? Do you change what you listen to when you write music? Do you have a go-to record that you use for inspiration? How have these influences changed over the course of your songwriting career? SQUEEZE! I got into them in my mid twenties and that absolutely marked the period when my songs started getting a little more thought out.
What is the most impressive band you’ve toured with? The one that you just had to watch every night? Did you learn anything from them/by watching them?
In 2014 we got to open an entire tour for AGAINST ME! They were a force to be reckoned with! Blew me away every night I watched them. It was a true honor to get invited on that tour.
Is there any classic / universally acclaimed artist or that you missed out on when they first came out and discovered way later? Any artist that you didn’t like at first and learned to appreciate over time?
Haha I actually didn’t get into the BEATLES until I was 19! They just weren’t played for me when I was a child, and most of what I had heard as a teen were songs like Yellow Submarine and I Want to Hold Your Hand which definitely does not appeal to somebody who is 11 or 12 and getting into punk and classic rock.
Do you have an artist that you love in a genre that you don’t usually listen to? What makes them stand out?
I can’t stand shoegaze, but I do like THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN.
Do you have any controversial/unpopular music related opinions that you would like to defend?
I just can’t get into the ROLLING STONES. I’ve tried repeatedly over the years, and I don’t HATE them or even actively “dislike” them. But it seems like the older I get, the more and more my friends are into them, and I just can’t get down with them at all. They definitely have some great songs, and I would even say I like a couple of their songs, but overall, they just don’t do anything for me.
If you could create your dream band (with any musicians, dead or alive), who would play which instrument?
Glen Buxton on lead guitar (ALICE COOPER), Dee Murray on bass (ELTON JOHN), Brian Downey on drums (THIN LIZZY), Eric Burdon on vocals (THE ANIMALS).
What albums have been on heavy rotation lately?
THE LEMON TWIGS Go To School, ELTON JOHN Caribou and UTOPIA Adventures in Utopia.
What are some up and coming artists that you would recommend?
THE LEMON TWIGS! They’re definitely getting bigger and bigger and completely deserve it. Amazing songwriting and musicianship. I’m completely blown away by them! They’re also from Long Island (where I’m from) and are super young, late teens, early twenties. They’re honestly the only “new” band that I like! I really just mostly listen to music from the 60s/70s/80s at this point.
Is there a band that you’ve discovered live recently that blew you away?
I actually went to see JUDAS PRIEST and DEEP PURPLE a couple weeks ago, at this big ridiculous venue on Long Island called Jones Beach Amphitheater. I have always been a casual fan of both bands, but Deep Purple were SO good, been really into them since! The synth player and drummer were so friggin good.
What are you listening to right now, while answering these questions?
THE PRETTY THINGS – The Sun off their album Emotions.
Catch Big Eyes on tour this October, opening for JOYCE MANOR and VUNDABAR.
Tue Oct 9 – Woodstock, NY @ Colony
Wed Oct 10 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Thu Oct 11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Fri Oct 12 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
Sat Oct 13 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Sun Oct 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Tue Oct 16 – Columbus, OH @ Skully’s
Wed Oct 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Thu Oct 18 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
Fri Oct 19 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Sat Oct 20 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
Sun Oct 21 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Howler’s**without Joyce Manor & Vundabar
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