Big Sigh Release Debut EP ‘Tether’ + Announces NZ Tour
Big Sigh is the musical collaboration between Rachel Hope Peary (she/they) and Nicholas Joseph Walsh (he/him) who reside in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton).
The pair forged a friendship and musical partnership in early 2024, anchored in their intertwined harmonies, finger-picked acoustic guitar and the steady drone of harmonium. Astute listeners would have already heard them and seen them perform with their contemporaries Womb, Jazmine Mary and Jim Nothing. Following the release of debut single Tether the pair hit the Aotearoa Hot Singles Chart and garnered acclaim from Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Undertheradar.co.nz, Muzic.NZ & Aotearoa’s alternative radio stations.
Today duo release their EP Tether and announce a tour throughout Aotearoa to celebrate, starting this weekend in Ōtautahi at the Lyttelton Coffee Company before heading to Whaingaroa Raglan, Kirikiriroa, Tāmaki Makaurau and Pōneke. Tickets are available now from Undertheradar.co.nz.
STREAM BIG SIGH – TETHER
Tether‘s four stark tracks are a true reflection of Walsh & Hope Peary’s approach to Big Sigh. Limited to what we can each do in the moment with their voices and two hands, the pair trade hushed verses of delicate harmonies, lightly finger pick guitars and breathe life into a harmonium. The EP was recorded at Roundhead Studios by producer De Stevens (Erny Belle, Office Dog) and features appearances from Tiare Kelly (Erny Belle, Neil Finn, Benee), Arden Tanner-Dempsey and multi-instrumentalist Jim Fulton. These guests accompany Big Sigh by delivering sweeping sitar, accompanying cello and tasteful percussion.
“This EP is really just the combination of our voices and instruments in a room” says Walsh. “These first songs came out pretty quickly and they’re what informed the direction of the band, if that makes sense. We basically met, started working on music together and rehearsed pretty regularly for a year. It felt like a really serendipitous meeting. We were each going through some heavy stuff personally that naturally fed into the music. That was basically all of 2024: writing, talking about the songs, rehearsing, tweaking the arrangements.”
Hope Peary agrees “I think these recordings capture a freshness before any thought about what it should sound like. We simply shared our songs and responded to each other in real time and then went with that. First thought, best thought. As for the overall sound these first recordings were a capture of that first creative spark between two collaborating artists.”
The Tether EP has been a long time coming, with songs penned in 2024 in rurual make shift studio spaces in Te Pahu & Kirikiriroa. Walsh notes “Thematically and lyrically, all of these songs were written and finished in a very specific year of our lives, so the lyrics are really just a pretty accurate record of what was going on for us individually. We just wanted to make a record of what it felt like to be us in the year 2024.”
Reflecting on Tether’s release Hope Peary notes “I’m a little numb to be honest, and also feeling lots of gratitude.”
“Playing music was something I released pursuing a long time ago so it feels absolutely surreal to be doing this after not playing or writing for over 10 years. I feel proud of what we’re created together and excited to keep making honest beautiful music!”
Cover Art Credit: Rachel Perry
Photo Credit: Cameron Tonks
