Preorder the Album Here

 

Big Eyes, the brainchild of Kait Eldridge, has just premiered their video for punchy title track“Stake My Claim” via Stereogum. The video comes with the announcement of an August tour in support of the upcoming album of the same title, to be released August 19 via Don Giovanni Records. The Brooklyn-based four-piece toes the line between a punk band with pop sensibilities and a power pop group with a hard rock edge, and “Stake My Claim” sees the band owning their bi-partisanship with self-assuredness and vivacity.

 

In late 2009, after the split of the collaborative pop punk and rock & roll bands of her late teens (Cheeky and Used Kids), 21 year old New Yorker Kait Eldridge began to channel her post-adolescent frustrations into a handful of solo demos that would become the first Big Eyes 7”. Now at age 28, Eldridge shows growth and maturity while harnessing the attitude and energy of her youth. The upcoming LP Stake My Claim exhibits the songwriting evolution from a discontent kid to an introspective adult, showcasing a newfound confidence and tenacity in Kait’s guitar playing, vocals, and lyrics.

 

Kait’s passion for rock and roll began at the young age of 12 when her very first guitar teacher, who was obsessed with hard rock and heavy metal, taught her the riffs of Van Halen and Ozzy Osbourne. With Big Eyes, Kait's pop punk adolescence, alongside her hard rock roots, shines through in her songwriting. This combination creates records full of broken hearted and pissed off rock songs that are catchy, gritty and energetic.

 

In 2011, immediately following the release of Big Eyes' debut album Hard Life, Kait relocated to Seattle to make Big Eyes a full time band. With a rotating crew of talented friends, she hit the ground running. Between 2011 and 2014, Big Eyes cranked out multiple 7 inches and a second full length, Almost Famous, while touring the US and Europe extensively (including a 4 week US tour opening for Against Me!). In late 2014, Kait returned back home to NYC, and with a batch of new songs and newly assembled lineup, made the decision to slow things down a bit and figure out exactly what she wanted for the next Big Eyes release. The band has expanded from a power trio to a four piece, featuring Paul Ridenour on guitar and backup vocals, Malcolm Donaldson on bass, and Griffin Harrison on drums, for a more complete and finessed sound than ever before.

 

Stake My Claim, the band's third full length, was recorded throughout the fall and winter of 2015. It opens with their heaviest song to date, the title track, which sets a tone of Kait at a crossroad: “‘Cause nothing stays the same / stake my claim.” Her lyrics are centered around dissatisfaction and a need for change. Throughout the entirety of Big Eyes’ discography, there is an undercurrent of sadness and frustration, but within Stake My Claim, Kait has found a sense of acceptance and her own distinct balance between punk, hard rock, and pop.

 

Watch “Stake My Claim” Here

 

Catch Big Eyes on Tour This August:

8/16 – Brooklyn NY @ Alphaville

8/17 – Pittsburgh PA @ Howlers

8/18 – Chicago IL @ Empty Bottle

8/19 – Milwaukee WI @ Company Brewing

8/20 – Madison WI @ Mickey’s Tavern

8/21 – Fargo ND @ The Aquarium

8/22 – Minneapolis MN @ Triple Rock Social Club

8/23 – Iowa City IA @ The Mill

8/24 – Ft. Wayne IN @ Brass Rail

8/25 - Cleveland OH @ Now That’s Class

8/26 – Cincinatti OH @ Northside Yacht Club

8/27 – Columbus OH @ Rumba

8/28 – Buffalo NY @ Mohawk Place

8/29 – Boston MA @ Great Scott

8/30 – Kingston NY @ BSP

9/18 – Asbury Park NJ @ New Alternative Music Festival (Convention Hall)

 

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