Made up of Joe Hickin and Callum Maloney, Big Special today share their compelling new single ‘DRAGGED UP A HILL (and thrown down the other side)’, a track that highlights Hickin’s emotionally charged vocal and unveils a more tender dimension to the duo’s sound.
The release follows last month’s ‘PLAINTIVE NATIVE’ and lands shortly after the surprise drop of their second album NATIONAL AVERAGE. in July. The pair have also kept momentum high with a recent collaboration with Sleaford Mods on ‘The Good Life’, appearing alongside Game of Thrones and Star Wars actor Gwendoline Christie in a hypnotic one-take video.
On the new single, Hickin says:
“A song written a while ago that we picked back out of our dusty drawer. It’s about the old labouring days and the feeling of getting nowhere in love and work, despite the graft. Disclaimer: Don’t listen whilst drunk.”
Rooted in a lifelong friendship, Big Special craft music shaped by honesty, dark humour, and a strong sense of purpose. Their bond remains at the heart of their creative evolution, fuelling a sound that balances ambition with emotional clarity.
Their rise has been rapid: from selling out Camden’s Dublin Castle off the back of a single track, to headlining a sold-out O2 Forum Kentish Town less than two years later, following the success of their debut album POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES. Their latest album NATIONAL AVERAGE. captures both the pace of that ascent and the pressures that accompanied it.
