Big Red, the solo writing vehicle of Joseph Scarisbrick, have made an immediate and tense entrance with their debut single, “Isn’t He Funny?”. Originally conceived as a home for songs outside the realm of Scarisbrick’s other project, The Orchestra (For Now), the venture has since evolved into a formidable three-piece lineup completed by drummer Charlie Hancock and bassist/vocalist Millie Kirby.
Written between London and Santa Cruz, California, in early 2025 and recorded live in Devon, the track walks an uneasy line between humour and psychological collapse. It opens with the wry, deadpan line, “I’m gonna leave the band / Hope you notice,” before descending into a volatile portrait of paranoia and self-invention. Musically, Scarisbrick’s bitter punchlines are matched by a frantic instrumental backdrop, where rolling guitar lines abruptly explode into heavy distortion alongside mercurial, shifting drum patterns.
Speaking on the track’s improvisational origins, Scarisbrick shares:
“I was playing a few shows with just a drummer and with this song I was improvising the lyrics on stage. The only line that stayed the same each time was ‘Isn’t He Funny?’. Afterwards I went home, wrote down the bits that I liked, and gradually pieced it together… It’s about trying to maintain control of how others see you while simultaneously losing control of yourself.”
This debut marks a distinct stylistic shift for Scarisbrick. Where his work with The Orchestra (For Now) leaned on literary allusions and dense conceptual references, Big Red favours a direct, brutally honest, and confessional approach. Recorded live in real time, the single captures the raw energy of a band playing together in a room, stripped of any safety nets.
To celebrate the release, Big Red will play their debut headline show next week in the Blue Basement at London’s Third Man Records, ahead of an appearance at End Of The Road Festival in September.
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