Unveiling ahead of their anticipated appearance at Byron Bay Bluesfest this weekend, the fourth studio album Everything Is Bigger Than Me out today from Melbourne indie folk auteurs Pierce Brothers solidifies the resplendent past, present and future of this beloved brother musical duo. Launching a celebration of new beginnings and new music off the back of the album’s release, Pierce Brothers will take the Byron Bay Bluesfest stage this Saturday March 30 and Sunday March 31, before embarking on an extensive Australian headline tour, set to journey far and wide across the country well into August.
A record that encompasses the Pierce Brothers’ journey throughout the past decade, Everything Is Bigger Than Me also marks the first time in their careers that twin brothers Jack and Patrick Pierce stepped into the role of producer, co-producing alongside Phil Threlfall (Illy, Bliss n Eso, Owl Eyes) while also recording at Jack’s very own home studio. Expanding their creative horizons on album #3, everything is fittingly bigger, with the band’s trademark indie folk, blues, and roots wiles amplified alongside lush arrangements, oscillating sonic auras, and swooning harmonies, dexterously beckoning and welcoming you deep into the Pierce Brothers universe. “We approached this record with a lot more planning than we’ve done before,” shares Jack. “We had so many songs demoed ourselves first, and tweaked over months and months before we started principal recording”. And it wasn’t just painstaking effort that elevated Everything Is Bigger Than Me to imposing new creative heights, with the brothers firmly championing boundless exploration, as Pat explains, “We also didn’t shy away from any ideas, we wanted to “yes and” as much as we could in the pre-production so we explored every opportunity.”
With long-time collaborator Phil Threlfall on co-producing and engineering duties, Everything Is Bigger Than Me initially started life with simpler ambitions; but, as Jack reveals, what started out as yet another tentative plan for a completely acoustic album would soon grow into the most dynamic collection of songs from the pair to date. “We always start each record saying how much we want to do a fully acoustic one, really strip it back,” says Jack. “But every time we get deeper into the process, we always find that we need to add more things. We got to sit with it so much more on this record as we were recording in our own studio, we and got in Phil Threlfall to help with engineering and production, with whom we’ve worked for years! Working with Phil was an absolute pleasure. He really helped harness our sound in the most honest way!”
With a buoyant flash, Everything Is Bigger Than Me kicks off with the energetic Studio, an upbeat yet poignant gem that blends driving beats, sparkling acoustic guitar and soaring melodics. From here, the Pierce Brothers journey through emphatic and infectious folk toe-tappers (Bottle and title track Everything Is Bigger Than Me), boundless intensity capturing the passing of time (Wilder featuring Philadelphia-based twins LULLANAS) and rustic charm built for mass crowd singalongs (Left You On Read). And further expanding the Pierce Brothers vast sonic palette, Everything Is Bigger Than Me also dazzles with a stirring ode to family and brotherhood (Blood), a wondrously intimate yet celebratory love ballad (White Dress), swooning and swaggering serenity (In The Water) and full-bodied warmth (Corner Of The Sun). But it’s also on the focus track Hollow, which appears just over midway in the album’s 10 tracks, that the Pierce Brothers flex their effortless ability to cleave powerful storytelling with enrapturing melodics, with its soaring chorus offering calm and charm in equal measure; a fact that authentically dominates the album’s core. “A lot of the themes we touched on with this record I feel could reach people,” says Pat. “Songs like Blood for example I think would have a real appeal, with its themes of family and strife. I just hope they get to sit and feel like they’re on a journey. It was quite a journey for us.”
Accompanying their focus track ‘Hollow’ is an affecting music video that sees footage from their most recent European tour, as well as studio footage from the recording process, alongside a performance by the brothers themselves.
Recently returning from their biggest European run to date, with the majority of shows selling out, Pierce Brothers will next tour on home soil to christen Everything Is Bigger Than Me, kicking off a massive Australian run this weekend with an appearance at Bluesfest alongside the esteemed likes of Jack Johnson, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, The Teskey Brothers, Matt Corby, and many more. From there, the pair will tour the country extensively, including visits to Ballarat, Newcastle, Sydney, Fremantle, Margaret River, Cairns, Brisbane and beyond, bringing their must-see live act across Australia throughout April, May, June, July and August. “Bluesfest is one of Australia’s great festivals!” says Jack of the upcoming shows. “It’s always so incredible to get to not only play, but to also explore all the amazing acts every time we go! We’re so stoked to be launching the record for the first time there, and then taking it all around the country! This will be our biggest tour since 2019! We’re so excited!”
An undeniable jewel in the Australian indie folk, blues and roots scene, the Pierce Brothers story stemmed from humble origins, with the pair busking on Bourke Street in their early years before going on to headline sold out venues around the globe, generate over 40 million global streams, enamour festival crowds and support the likes of Tones and I, Tash Sultana, The Cat Empire, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and many more. Along the way, the duo’s musical output has consistently grown along with their stellar reputation, from their top 15 ARIA debut album, 2018’s Atlas Shoulders, to releasing two top 10 ARIA EPs, Into The Dirt (2015) and The Records Were Ours (2017), a sophomore album Into The Great Unknown in 2020 and, as of 2024, a whole new era courtesy of Everything Is Bigger Than Me. With 2024 also marking 10 years since the band’s acclaimed EP The Night Tree thrust them into the spotlight, fittingly Pierce Brothers will also return to their roots this year during their new album’s release week, taking things back to where it all began with a busking trip down the East Coast. “Busking is always something that we’ve been drawn to,” shares Jack. “It’s directed the way in which we perform and has always been close to us”.
Everything Is Bigger Than Me is out now.
Tickets for their Regional Australian tour are on sale at www.piercebrothers.com.
