The Big Pink

Robertson "Robbie" Furze and Milo Cordell started working together as The Big Pink in 2008, taking their name from the debut album by The Band.{{cite news|author=Paul Lester |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/nov/18/new-band-big-pink |title=New band of the day – No. 432: The Big Pink | Music |work=The Guardian|access-date=12 January 2012 |location=London |date=18 November 2008}} Furze used to play guitar for Alec Empire and run the record label Hate Channel with Cordell. Cordell (son of Denny Cordell and brother of Tarka Cordell) had also been releasing records through his own label Merok Records, which featured early noise rock releases by Klaxons, Titus Andronicus, and Crystal Castles.{{cite web|url=http://merok.bigcartel.com/ |title=Merok Records |publisher=Merok.bigcartel.com |access-date=12 January 2012}} After joining forces in mid-2007, the band issued their first single "Too Young to Love" on 7" vinyl in October 2008 on the House Anxiety label.[http://www.dummymag.com/next/2009/02/11/the-big-pink-where-can-noise-go-/ The Big Pink "Where Can Noise Go?" | Dummy Magazine] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807120230/http://www.dummymag.com/next/2009/02/11/the-big-pink-where-can-noise-go-/ |date=7 August 2009 }} The single was limited to 500 copies worldwide, and features a homoerotic photograph by Dennis Cooper as its cover. Similarly, a limited edition 12" single for "Too Young to Love" released only in Japan features more of Cooper's photography as its cover.

The Big Pink signed with British record label 4AD in February 2009.[http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/news/~three-new-signin/ 4AD – Three New Signings Announced] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706101529/http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/news/~three-new-signin/ |date=6 July 2009 }} On 25 February 2009, The Big Pink won the prestigious Philip Hall Radar Award for best new act at the NME Shockwave Awards. The duo were presented the award by James Allan and Caroline McKay of Glasvegas, who had won the award in 2008. In April, 4AD issued the duo's first single for the label, "Velvet," which Pitchfork Media described as "undeniably immense, but it's a tribute to the Big Pink's skill and maturity that it still manages to sound intimate", and awarded the track a 7 out of 10 rating.{{cite web|last=Garrett |first=Jonathan |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11163-velvet/ |title=Track Reviews – Velvet |publisher=Pitchfork |date=9 April 2009 |access-date=12 January 2012}} The single was again produced by the band and mixed by Alan Moulder. A 7-minute remix of "Velvet" by Gang Gang Dance followed as an online-streaming single.{{cite web|last=Kelly |first=Zach |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11220-velvet-gang-gang-dance-remix/ |title=Track Reviews – Velvet (Gang Gang Dance Remix) |publisher=Pitchfork |date=4 May 2009 |access-date=12 January 2012}} The Big Pink provided a cover of "Lovesong" for The Cure tribute album Pictures of You: A Tribute to Godlike Geniuses The Cure, which was made available with the 25 February 2009 issue of NME.[http://journal.4ad.com/the-big-pink-cover-the-cure 4AD Journal: The Big Pink Cover The Cure] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204055346/http://journal.4ad.com/the-big-pink-cover-the-cure |date=4 December 2010 }} Following the releases, the duo opened for TV on the Radio in Europe before embarking on their first headlining UK tour.[http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/news/~debut-4ad-single/ 4AD – The Big Pink – Debut 4AD Single, UK Tour, NME Award] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705184101/http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/news/~debut-4ad-single/ |date=5 July 2009 }} A second single on 4AD, the non-album track "Stop the World", was released as a limited edition 7" single on 29 June 2009.[http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/releases/stop-the-world-2/ 4AD – The Big Pink – Stop the World] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621232103/http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/releases/stop-the-world-2/ |date=21 June 2009 }} It was co-produced with Paul Epworth.

The Big Pink's debut album A Brief History of Love was released on 14 September 2009, the fourth single "Dominos" having been released a week before.{{cite web|author=Exceedingly Good Keex |url=http://exceedinglygoodkeex.blogspot.com/2009/07/dominoes.html |title=Exceedingly Good Keex: Dominos |publisher=Exceedinglygoodkeex.blogspot.com |date=10 July 2009 |access-date=12 January 2012}} The band produced the album themselves at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and it was mixed by Rich Costey.{{cite news|last=Jones |first=Damian |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_8022000/8022375.stm |title=BBC – Newsbeat – Music – The Big Pink slam indie cool tag |publisher=BBC News |date=29 April 2009 |access-date=12 January 2012}} Cordell told BBC 6 Music that the album encompasses "every different aspect of love... The good, the bad, the boring, the exciting, the dreams, the nightmares, the whole thing."[http://www.4ad.com/news/details-of-the-b/ Details of The Big Pink's debut album, 4AD, 6 July 2009] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709063037/http://www.4ad.com/news/details-of-the-b/ |date=9 July 2009 }} Nationwide tours of Europe, Japan, and the United States occurred August through the end of 2009,{{cite web|url=http://www.prefixmag.com/news/big-pink-announce-debut-american-tour-dates/31589 |title=Big Pink Announce Debut American Tour Dates |publisher=Prefixmag.com |date=7 August 2009 |access-date=12 January 2012}} with dates in Australia[http://musicfromthebigpink.com/news/235/australian-dates-announced-for-2010 The Big Pink / Australian dates announced for 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125162120/http://musicfromthebigpink.com/news/235/australian-dates-announced-for-2010 |date=25 November 2009 }} and a second North American tour set for spring 2010.[http://www.4ad.com/news/announce-spring/ 4AD – News – The Big Pink Announce North American Spring dates] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091212233658/http://www.4ad.com/news/announce-spring/ |date=12 December 2009 }} They also supported Muse on their UK arena tour in November,{{cite web|url=http://muse.mu/news/article/503/biffy-clyro-and-the-big-pink-to-support-muse/ |title=MUSE News – Biffy Clyro and The Big Pink to support Muse! |publisher=Muse.mu |access-date=12 January 2012}} and in turn, provided a remix of Muse's song "Undisclosed Desires," which was made available on the single released on 16 November 2009.{{cite web | url=http://muse.mu/news/article/534/undisclosed-desires---out-on-16th-november/ | title=MUSE News – Undisclosed Desires – out on 16 November}} On 24 February 2010, "Dominos" won Best Track at the NME Awards.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/nmeradio |title=Twitter |publisher=Twitter |access-date=12 January 2012}} The Big Pink appeared at the 2010 Coachella Festival in April{{cite web|last=Breihan |first=Tom |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/37620-coachella-lineup-announced/ |title=Coachella Lineup Announced |publisher=Pitchfork |date=19 January 2010 |access-date=12 January 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://coachella.com/ |title=(official website) |publisher=Coachella |access-date=12 January 2012}} and once again opened for Muse at London's Wembley Stadium on 10 September 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.last.fm/event/1306179+Muse+at+Wembley+Stadium+on+10+September+2010 |title=Muse at Wembley Stadium |publisher=Last.fm |access-date=12 January 2012}}

In an interview with NME, Robbie Furze noted a strong hip-hop influence for the recording of the band's second album. However, he later retracted this statement regarding the band's musical direction in a further NME interview in October 2011 in which he wishes he hadn't made such a claim. He also stated that the band has approached Nick Launay and Dave Fridmann as possible producers, and added "I think we've got our heart set on Alan Moulder to mix it."{{cite web |title=The Big Pink at Leeds Festival: 'Our new album sounds like Dr Dre' |website=NME |url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-big-pink/52768 |date=29 August 2010 |access-date=20 October 2010}} The first single "Stay Gold" came out in October 2011,{{cite web |title=Hear The Big Pink's new single 'Stay Gold' on NME.COM |website=NME |url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-big-pink/59195 |date=13 September 2011}} and was featured in SSX.

The band's second album Future This was released in January 2012.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/ie/preorder/id485468968 |title=Future This by The Big Pink – Preorder Future This on iTunes |publisher=iTunes |access-date=12 January 2012}} One of the songs "Lose Your Mind" started with a sample of the single "Happy House" by Siouxsie and the Banshees to get a certain vibe.{{cite web |title=ACE Title Search : LOSE YOUR MIND |work=ASCAP |url=http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?requesttimeout=300&mode=results&searchstr=883574511&search_in=i&search_type=exact&search_det=t,s,w,p,b,v&results_pp=10&start=1 |access-date=2012-02-21}}

{{cite web |author=Furze, Robbie |title=The Big Pink |work=subba-cultcha.com |url=http://www.subba-cultcha.com/features/article.php?contentID=27755 |access-date=2012-02-20 |quote=Some of these songs started with a sample from Laurie Anderson, or Siouxsie and the Banshees, and that was a big difference in process. We’d start with the sample, stick a beat underneath it, and then let it grow from there, from the initial vibe. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219085201/http://www.subba-cultcha.com/features/article.php?contentID=27755 |archive-date=19 February 2012}}{{cite web |author=Bevan, david |title=The Big Pink Go Pop on January's 'Future This' |work=Spin.com |url=https://www.spin.com/2011/11/big-pink-go-pop-januarys-future-this/ |date=14 November 2011 |access-date=2012-02-20 |quote=Lose Your Mind initially sampled Happy House by Siouxsie and the Banshees}} The second single "Hit the Ground (Superman)" heavily sampled O Superman by Laurie Anderson.

In February 2013, Furze announced on the band's Facebook page that Cordell moved to New York permanently in order to focus on his label Merok Records and would no longer be an active member of The Big Pink. Despite this, production of a third album continued with various musicians and producers including The-Drum, Supreme Cuts, Van Rivers, John O'Mahoney and Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow.{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/49647-milo-cordell-one-half-of-the-big-pink-leaves-band/ |title=Milo Cordell, One Half of the Big Pink, Leaves Band |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2013-02-20 |access-date=2016-06-22}}

On 26 January 2016 Big Pink released a video for the song "Hightimes" followed by a 4-song EP titled Empire Underground.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOFbhdXhMBY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/jOFbhdXhMBY |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=The Big Pink - Hightimes - YouTube|website=YouTube |date=26 January 2016 }}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FIPW6KS|title=Amazon.com: Empire Underground: The Big Pink: MP3 Downloads|website=Amazon }}

In 2022, the band released the single "No Angels", produced by Tony Hoffer,{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-big-pink-no-angels-single-1343501/ | title=The Big Pink Celebrate Their Return with Shoegazy Single 'No Angels' | magazine=Rolling Stone | date=27 April 2022 }} from their third album The Love That's Ours.

Current members

• Robertson "Robbie" Furze – vocals, guitar, programming
• Akiko Matsuura – drums, backing vocals
• Charlie Barker – bass, backing vocals

Former members

• Milo Cordell – programming, keyboards, synthesizer, vocals
• Lady Mary Charteris – vocals, programming

Former additional personnel

• Jo Apps (sister of Patrick Wolf) – backing vocals
• Valentine Fillol-Cordier (model) – backing vocals
• Daniel O'Sullivan (of Ulver, Guapo, Sunn O))), et al.) – various instruments
• Vicky Jean Smith – drums
• Leopold Ross – bass
• Adam Prendergast – bass (live)

• This Is Our Time (Beggars Japan, 24 June 2009) – Japan-only CD EP
• Empire Underground (B3SCI Records, 4 March 2016){{cite web|url=https://b3scirecords.bandcamp.com/album/empire-underground-ep|title=Empire Underground EP - B3SCI Records}}

| 2008

| — || — || — || — || — || —

| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="6"|A Brief History of Love

|-

!scope="row"|"Velvet"{{ref label|ADD|A|}}

| rowspan="3"|2009

| 133 || — || — || — || — || —

|-

!scope="row"|"Stop the World"{{ref label|ADD|B|}}

| — || — || — || — || — || —

|-

!scope="row"|"Dominos"

| 27 || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Dominoes" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 13 on the Ultratip chart.}} || 10 || — || 14 || 36

|-

!scope="row"|"Velvet"

| rowspan="2"|2010

| 149 || — || — || — || 19 || —

|-

! scope="row"|"Tonight"

| — || — || — || — || — || —

|-

! scope="row"|"Stay Gold"

| 2011

| — || — || — || — || 27 || —

| rowspan="2"|Future This

|-

! scope="row"|"Hit the Ground (Superman)"

| 2012

| — || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Hit the Ground (Superman)" did not enter the Flanders Ultratop 50, but peaked at number 15 on the Ultratip chart.}} || — || 76 || 39 || —

|-

! scope="row"|"No Angels"

| rowspan="3"|2022

| — || — || — || — || — || —

| rowspan="3"|The Love That's Ours

|-

!scope="row"|"Love Spins on Its Axis" (featuring Dust in the Sunlight)

| — || — || — || — || — || —

|-

!scope="row"|"Rage"

| — || — || — || — || — || —

|-

| colspan="9" style="font-size:85%"| "—" denotes a release that did not chart.

|}

Notes

• {{note label|ADD|A|}} – Originally released as non-album tracks, but were later added to the debut album A Brief History of Love.
• {{note label|ADD|B|}} – Non-album single; released as a bonus track on the UK digital download edition and the Japanese CD pressing of A Brief History of Love.

• "Tapes" – !K7

• Fragments from Work in Progress (4AD, 17 April 2010)
• A limited edition 12" EP released by 4AD for Record Store Day 2010, featuring session tracks and demos from five artists on the label's roster; includes "With You" by the band, which was previously released on the Japanese 12" for "Too Young to Love"[http://www.4ad.com/news/record-store-day-0/ 4AD – News – Limited 12" EP from 4AD for Record Store Day 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312092646/http://www.4ad.com/news/record-store-day-0/ |date=12 March 2010 }}

{{col-start}}

{{col-break}}

By other artists

• "Velvet" (BDG Remix by Gang Gang Dance)
• "Velvet" (Mount Kimbie Remix)
• "Velvet" (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid Remix)
• "Too Young to Love" (Delorean Remix)
• "Too Young to Love" (Too Fast to Die Remix by The Living Eye)
• "Too Young to Love" (UNKLE Surrender Sounds Session No. 14)
• "Dominos" (Rustie Remix)
• "Dominos" (Switch Remix)
• "Dominos" (Switch Remix Instrumental)
• "Tonight" (Coyote Clean Up Dirty Dub)
• "Tonight" (Ghost Hunter Remix)
• "Tonight" (oOoOO 2NITERMX)
• "Tonight" (Von Haze Remix)

{{col-break}}

;Of other artists

• "22" (The Big Pink Remix) – Lily Allen
• "Devil's Trident" (The Big Pink Reality Mix) – Telepathe
• "Headlock" (The Big Pink Remix) – Esser
• "Undisclosed Desires" (The Big Pink Remix) – Muse

{{col-end}}

{{reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://musicfromthebigpink.com/}} (link broken)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090508094823/http://www.4ad.com/thebigpink/ The Big Pink on 4AD's website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110306114929/http://www.bigpink-tapes.com/ The Big Pink – Tapes website]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Pink, The}}

Category:4AD artists

Category:English electronic music duos

Category:English electronic rock musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 2007

Category:Electronic music groups from London

Category:Indie rock groups from London

Category:NME Awards winners

Category:English rock music duos

Category:British shoegaze musical groups

Category:2007 establishments in England

Category:Remote Control Records artists