Being in a band is often a cheap alternative to therapy. It allows an outlet for feelings its members can’t articulate. It provides a space for physical inhibitions to be let loose. For Big Nothing’s Liz Parsons, the need for that mental nourishment became evident when she moved to Philadelphia. She found herself fitting into the city nicely, yet felt isolated and empty. Her new home was one of America’s musical epicenters – a big reason she moved there – and she didn’t plan on wasting any time filling the indie rock shaped hole in her life. She shot a text to ex-Spraynard guitarist Pat Graham, who had recently had a conversation with Young Livers’ drummer Chris Jordan about starting a new project. Once Matt Quinn (of Crybaby fame) caught wind of the three playing music together – he begged to bring his Rickenbacker tone into the mix. After jamming out some Voice Memo riffs and Against Me! covers, Big Nothing was here to stay.

While the four members have found significant purpose from playing together, Big Nothing’s upcoming album Chris continues to explore those feelings of emptiness that Parsons faced before the band began. Existing is weird and terrifying. Humans don’t often know how to comprehend the void. Quinn exemplifies this existential confusion in the album’s opening track Waste My Time, “If I don’t know why I’m looking, then what can I hope to find out?” It’s both beautiful and awful and Big Nothing embraces it all.

Sonically, Chris finds itself borrowing cues from indie mainstays like Superchunk and The Replacements. It’s clear that they are trying to unhinge themselves from patterns they’ve repeated in the past, but they’re also not afraid to blast the tried and true methods of rock and roll. The lyrics on the album range from cryptic and heady to unapologetically literal – the benefit of three songwriters. Their live show mimics the honesty of the album. Hell bent on ripping through their set as aggressively as they can, Big Nothing is a genuine rock band.