Big Red Machine | |
|---|---|
 Big Red Machine performing in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Eau Claire, Wisconsin, US |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Labels | Jagjaguwar |
| Members | |
| Website | bigredmachine |
Big Red Machine is an American indie folk band that began as a collaboration between musicians Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon. [1] The band is named after the nickname for the dominant 1970s Cincinnati Reds baseball team, which won the 1976 World Series in Dessner's birth year. [2]
Big Red Machine began as a musical collaboration in 2008, when Aaron Dessner messaged Justin Vernon on MySpace, without any prior personal meeting. Dessner sent Vernon an instrumental idea for a compilation album named Dark Was the Night , benefiting the Red Hot Organization, which he wanted Vernon to write a song for. [3] The sketch was titled "Big Red Machine", and Vernon created a completed song using the track. The album was celebrated with a show at Radio City Music Hall, where the two met and began further collaborating. Since then, they have worked on a number of projects together, including PEOPLE Collective, Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, and Day of the Dead . [3] Dessner is most famous for being a founding member, songwriter, and producer for The National, and Vernon for being the leader of Bon Iver.
In 2016, Vernon, Dessner, and Dessner's twin brother Bryce Dessner founded an artist collective named PEOPLE. The PEOPLE website states that the concept aims to "establish an independent and nurturing space in which to make work (generally around music) that is collaborative, spontaneous and expressive in nature and where all unnecessary distractions or obstacles that get in the way are removed." [4] They first gathered for a festival at Funkhaus, Berlin, in 2016. The second festival took place in 2018, again at Funkhaus. Since 2016, Big Red Machine has played festival sets at Eaux Claires, Haven, and Sounds From a Safe Harbour. [5]
Dessner has stated that the original sketch that he sent to Vernon in 2008, named "Big Red Machine", uses the nickname of the 1970s Cincinnati Reds teams that won the World Series back to back in 1975 and 1976. The team received the nickname "The Big Red Machine" throughout this successful period. Aaron Dessner grew up in Cincinnati, and he and his twin brother were born in 1976, during the Reds' run. [2]
Big Red Machine released their debut album Big Red Machine on August 31, 2018, via PEOPLE and Jagjaguwar. Prior to this, the outfit released four tracks from the full-length album: "Gratitude", "Lyla", "Hymnostic", and "Forest Green". [6] The 10-track self-titled album was co-produced by Dessner, Vernon, and Brad Cook, while Jonathan Low mixed the recording. The album features approximately 40 collaborators, including Bryce Dessner, Bryan Devendorf, Richard Parry, Phoebe Bridgers, Lisa Hannigan, JT Bates, and Kate Stables, among others. [6] The majority of the album was recorded in Dessner's shed studio in the Hudson Valley, [7] where Dessner also recorded the 2017 The National album Sleep Well Beast . [8]
In 2020, it was announced that Dessner and Vernon had begun work on new Big Red Machine material. Early in the year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Stipe appeared on several late-night shows, premiering a new song called "No Time for Love Like Now". The song was revealed to be a Big Red Machine song, and the single, featuring Stipe on vocals, was released in June. [9] Dessner also performed several unreleased Big Red Machine songs during an Instagram Live session. In April—December 2020, Dessner co-produced and co-wrote many tracks on Folklore and Evermore , the 2020 albums by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift; [10] Vernon also contributed vocals and instrumentation on some of the tracks. Dessner and Swift won Album of the Year for Folklore at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. [11]
In August 2020, Dessner confirmed that Big Red Machine were finalizing and arranging new music for an upcoming album. [12] Later that year, the band released two covers of Aimee Mann's "Wise Up" and collaborated with Sharon Van Etten on the reissue of her album Epic . [13] [14] Additionally, Vernon, in his "Visit with Vernon" web series, performed an unreleased Big Red Machine song called "Latter Days", that had previously also been performed by Dessner during his Instagram Live concert. "Latter Days" was co-written by Hadestown writer Anaïs Mitchell. [15] In April 2021, Vernon teased a potential collaboration with Swift. [16]
In June 2021, the band announced the upcoming release of their second album, How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? . In the week of the announcement, they released the singles "Latter Days" (featuring Mitchell), "The Ghost of Cincinnati", and "Renegade" (featuring Swift). [17] [18] The record came out on August 27, 2021. [19]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [20] | AUS [21] | BEL (FL) [22] | BEL (WA) [23] | GER [24] | IRE [25] | NL [26] | SCO [27] | SWI [28] | UK [27] | ||||
| Big Red Machine |
| — [upper-alpha 1] | — [upper-alpha 2] | 16 | — | — | — | 80 | 40 | 86 | 96 | ||
| How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? |
| 82 | 51 | 9 | 179 | 18 | 66 | 17 | 15 | 88 | 45 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [31] | US Adult [32] | US Rock [33] | AUS [34] | CAN [35] | IRE [36] | NZ Hot [37] | UK [27] | UK Indie [27] | WW [38] | |||
| "No Time for Love Like Now" (featuring Michael Stipe) | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| "Latter Days" (featuring Anaïs Mitchell) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? |
| "The Ghost of Cincinnati" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Renegade" (featuring Taylor Swift) | 73 | 14 | 9 | 70 | 58 | 53 | 3 | 73 | 9 | 96 | ||
| "Phoenix" (featuring Fleet Foxes and Anaïs Mitchell) | — | — | — [upper-alpha 3] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Mimi" (featuring Ilsey) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt. DL [40] | US Rock DL [41] | BEL (FL) Tip [22] | |||||||||
| "I Won't Run from It" | 2018 | — | — | 15 | Big Red Machine | ||||||
| "Birch" (featuring Taylor Swift) | 2021 | 17 | 17 | — | How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
The National is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1999. The band consists of Matt Berninger (vocals), twin brothers Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, as well as brothers Scott Devendorf (bass) and Bryan Devendorf (drums). During live performances, the band is joined by longtime touring members, Ben Lanz and Kyle Resnick. Carin Besser, the wife of Berninger, is not a band member but has written lyrics for the band alongside her husband since its 2007 album Boxer.
Eaux Claires, also known as the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival, was a two-day music and arts festival that took place for four years in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The festival took what was to be a year-long hiatus in 2019 but was expected to return in 2020, before being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best-known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver. He is also a member of the bands Volcano Choir, Big Red Machine, the Shouting Matches, and Gayngs, and was previously a member of the now-defunct band DeYarmond Edison. Known for his distinct falsetto voice, Vernon has received widespread acclaim for his work, predominantly with Bon Iver.
Aaron Brooking Dessner is an American musician. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band The National, with whom he has recorded nine studio albums; a co-founder of the indie rock duo Big Red Machine, teaming with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon; and a collaborator on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed studio albums Folklore and Evermore, both of which contended for the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the former winning the accolade; as well as The Tortured Poets Department (2024).
Day of the Dead is the twenty-fifth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Featuring fifty-nine exclusive recordings of covers of Grateful Dead songs by a number of independent artists as a tribute to the band, the compilation was released on May 20, 2016, as five CDs, a limited edition vinyl LP box set, and as a digital download. John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot Organization, was the executive producer for the album. The members of The National first performed with Bob Weir at his Bay Area studio in 2012 as part of the Headcount benefit The Bridge Session. The group's budding friendship with the Dead cofounder pushed them to record the massive Dead tribute.
Big Red Machine is the debut studio album by American musicians Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon as Big Red Machine. Dessner is most famous for being a founding member, instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer for The National, and Vernon for being the founding member and frontman of Bon Iver. The majority of the album was recorded in Dessner's shed studio in the Hudson Valley.
"Peace" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. According to Swift, "Peace" is her most personal song on Folklore. It has a minimal composition of a soft piano and harmonized guitars over an electric pulse, combining elements of R&B, funk, and jazz. In the lyrics, Swift's character pledges her commitment to a lover while acknowledging the downsides she might bring to their relationship.
"Exile" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the American band Bon Iver. It is from Swift's eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). "Exile" was written by Swift, Joe Alwyn, and Bon Iver's frontman Justin Vernon, with production by Aaron Dessner and Alwyn. Republic Records released the song to US alternative radio on August 3, 2020.
"The 1" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the opening track from her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020). She wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. A folk and soft rock tune with elements of indie folk, "The 1" sets Swift's conversational vocals over a production consisting of piano and percussion. In its lyrics, the narrator fondly introspects a failed romance and details the time when she found "the one" who never came to be. Republic Records released the song for download in Germany on October 9, 2020.
Evermore is the ninth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was a surprise album released on December 11, 2020, via Republic Records, less than five months after her previous studio album Folklore. Evermore was a spontaneous product of Swift's extended collaboration with her Folklore collaborator Aaron Dessner, mainly recorded at his Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley.
"Willow" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). It was released on December 11, 2020, by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. "Willow" is a chamber folk love song making use of several metaphors to convey the singer's romantic state of mind, such as portraying her life as a willow tree, over picked guitars, glockenspiel, flute, strings, and percussion.
"No Body, No Crime" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, featuring the American band Haim, from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the track as a result of her fixation with crime documentaries and podcasts, and co-produced it with Aaron Dessner. A tune featuring styles of country, country rock, and Americana, "No Body, No Crime" is a murder ballad about the murder of a woman named Este, narrated by her friend who avenges her. Republic Records in partnership with MCA Nashville sent the song to US country radio on January 11, 2021, as a single from Evermore.
"Dorothea" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). Swift wrote the song with its producer, Aaron Dessner. The lyrics are from the perspective of an unnamed character reminiscing an old friendship with the titular fictional character, when they were in their adolescence. It tells the story of how the two reconcile when Dorothea returns from Hollywood to their hometown Tupelo for the holiday season. The narrator confesses to Dorothea that they still love her despite the change and hope to reconcile the long lost friendship. The narrator later convinces her to abandon an acting career for a simplistic life in their hometown.
"Coney Island" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring the National, taken from Swift's ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). Swift, Joe Alwyn, and the National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner wrote the song, with the latter two producing it. Matt Berninger contributed guest vocals. Republic Records sent "Coney Island" to US adult album alternative radio as a single on January 18, 2021.
"Marjorie" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). A tribute to Swift's late maternal grandmother, the opera singer Marjorie Finlay, the song features bits of advice that Finlay offered to Swift and touches on her guilt over not knowing Finlay to the fullest. It incorporates slow-burning synthesizers, strings, and samples of Finlay's operatic vocals.
How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? is the second studio album by American indie duo Big Red Machine, which consists of musicians Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon. It was released on August 27, 2021, via 37d03d and Jagjaguwar record labels. Dessner stated the album is built around themes of childhood, familial dynamics, and mental health. He cited The Last Waltz, the 1978 live album by the Band, as an inspiration for the record.
"Renegade" is a song recorded by American indie band Big Red Machine featuring American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on July 2, 2021, by 37d03d and Jagjaguwar. It was serviced to US triple-A radio on the same day as the third single from the band's second studio album, How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? (2021).
"Nothing New" is a song by the American singer-songwriters Taylor Swift featuring Phoebe Bridgers. Swift wrote the song in March 2012 and produced it with Aaron Dessner for her second re-recorded studio album, Red , which was released in 2021 through Republic Records. The track is a guitar-led folk and alternative rock tune about anxieties over romance and growing up.
"I Bet You Think About Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring harmony vocals from the American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton. Swift wrote it with Lori McKenna in June 2011 and intended to include it on her fourth studio album, Red (2012). Although it did not make the cut, it was produced by Swift and Aaron Dessner for Red's re-recorded version, Red (2021). Republic Records and MCA Nashville released the song to US country radio on November 15, 2021.
"Happiness" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her ninth studio album, Evermore (2020). She wrote the song with Aaron Dessner, who produced it using an instrumental track he had written in 2019. A midtempo ambient ballad, "Happiness" has piano, guitar and synthesizer instrumentation generated by a slow drone that build up. Its lyrics are about a narrator finding happiness after a divorce.