A Day in the Life of…Two-Man Giant Squid

Brooklyn-based Two-Man Big Squid began off as an nameless, experimental bed room undertaking by multi-instrumentalist Mitchell Vinokur three years in the past. “I had no plans to play it out or be a band or something,” says Vinokur over a video name. However he despatched the album titled Abyssal Gigantism to some publications for protection, which led to a couple invites for stay exhibits. “I texted Rob immediately and I stated, ‘Hey, do you need to play guitar on this undertaking? If he had stated no, I’d’ve simply been like, yeah, this isn’t occurring. However he stated sure.” 

Rob is Robbie Sawyer. He and Vinokur are childhood greatest associates who spent many days jamming collectively in Sawyer’s bed room taking part in Neil Younger covers. Since then, the band has developed right into a five-piece group, with the addition of bassist Yan Kogan, Sam Borges—who can be Vinokur’s fiancée—on synth, and drummer Brendan Jones, who can be presently taking part in with one other Brooklyn-based band Nara’s Room. 

Extra from Spin:

• Teddy Swims Needs to Be the Man You Suppose He Is
• Each Stevie Nicks Album, Ranked
• Model New Return For Tour After Eight-12 months Break

Two-Man Big Squid is a mix of two band names Vinokur was contemplating: Two-Man Bobsled and Big Squid. “I actually want there was a cooler story… I’m going to begin telling people who I used to be on acid and I simply considered it. I feel I used to be watching the Olympics or one thing and the opposite choice was Big Squid. And I had a deadline of when this album [Abyssal Gigantism] was going to be launched and I simply knocked them collectively. And it was Two Males Big Squid.”

The band has launched two different albums, 2023’s Intro to Basement and its most up-to-date, the eponymous Two-Man Big Squid, which got here out in March. All through the group’s discography, its sound has developed. 

Vinokur says that the band’s newest effort is a mixture of their first two data, which is why they selected to make it self-titled; it’s a dedication to who Two-Man Big Squid is as a band and the sound they’ve developed since they’ve been collectively. 

“We’re in search of high-energy art-punk,” says Vinokur. We need to think about you listening to this in a sweating basement, but in addition, there’s numerous introspective and tongue-in-cheek writing that has at all times been part of our band.” 

Whereas Two-Man Big Squid typically performs across the New York Metropolis space, they made their debut look at SXSW in March, taking part in 5 exhibits. “To see individuals on the road stopping and coming in to see what’s happening once we’re taking part in, which I feel is the perfect factor about SXSW…there are individuals there who genuinely need to see music,” says Jones, who was taking part in there together with his different band as nicely. “The room may be empty whenever you begin taking part in and it may replenish inside two minutes as a result of individuals typically need to go to the rooms that music’s taking part in out of, they usually’ll give a shot to bands which might be there.”

As they proceed to advertise their new album, Vinokur has already written two new songs for the band’s subsequent undertaking and hopes to broaden their tour regionally and finally, nationally. 

Right here’s a day within the lifetime of Mitchell Vinokur, Robbie Sawyer, and Brendan Jones of Two-Man Big Squid.

$bp(“TargetVideo_42921739”, {“video”:”2045345″,”width”:”16″,”top”:”9″,”id”:”24448″});

Date  March 28, 2025

Time I wakened  

I wakened at 7:50 as a result of there’s building proper subsequent to my house. — Mitchell 

I wakened round 7:30 as a result of I needed to go to work. And I’m on the workplace proper now. — Robbie

I wakened at 7:00 and was on my cellphone for an hour. No have to get up that early, however I did. — Brendan 

Bunch of early risers. — Robbie

Daily begins with  

Espresso. — Mitchell

Espresso for me, at all times. That’s the very first thing. — Robbie 

Me getting anxious about what the day entails. — Mitchell 

Egg sandwich, inexperienced tea, espresso. — Brendan 

Seems like a more healthy factor than I’m doing. — Mitchell

Breakfast consists of  

I don’t normally do breakfast. — Mitchell

I’m truly not likely a breakfast man both. I normally maintain off till round midday. However I’m an enormous sandwich man. — Robbie 

After we go on tour, I’m going to want my breakfast. I can’t begin the day with none of these issues. — Brendan

To get going I at all times hearken to 

“The Boys Are Again in City.” — Mitchell 

I’ll really hearken to “Brianstorm” by Article Monkeys earlier than a present to essentially get myself in an excellent drumming form of mindset. — Brendan

I’m form of late to the social gathering, however I’ve actually began stepping into Amyl and the Sniffers they usually simply rock so arduous and simply make me need to run via a wall. — Robbie

I don’t really feel dressed with out  

My lengthy black pants that I’ve worn to each single present that we’ve ever performed. — Mitchell

I’m normally a hat man. I’m normally carrying a ball cap or one thing. — Robbie

Nike Cortezes for me are like my final drumming shoe, so I have to put on them for a present. — Brendan

Earlier than I begin working I have to  

I spend manner an excessive amount of time on my cellphone procrastinating. — Mitchell 

Espresso. — Robbie 

Not give myself sufficient time to let my laptop activate after which I’m late to some assembly. — Brendan

At present engaged on  

Two new singles and the rollout for this new album and pondering of some covers we will throw in on this tour as a result of if we’re going to go on a tour we wish to plan a canopy or two for the enjoyable of it. — Mitchell 

However I’d actually like to be  

On trip. — Mitchell 

I’d actually like to play some West Coast exhibits in some unspecified time in the future. I really feel like that may be actually cool if we might lengthen the journey out to the L.A. space. — Robbie 

For me, it might be on a competition invoice, a kind of three-day-kind-of-weekend-in-a-single-location festivals. — Brendan

E book I’m studying  

I simply completed a guide referred to as Rant by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve learn a couple of of his. I just like the satirical writing. Sam, our synth participant, is studying a Brian Eno guide. She is presently obsessive about Brian Eno. — Mitchell 

I’m studying a guide referred to as Mindfulness Meditation — Brendan

I can’t learn, however I’m attempting actually arduous. No, I’m an enormous sci-fi-fantasy man, so I like Sport of Thrones and stuff like that. So I only recently learn the guide that Home of the Dragon relies on. — Robbie

I don’t understand how anybody ever  

Does nothing. I want one thing to do always. I can’t sit and never do something. — Mitchell 

Goes to work at a job they don’t like. — Brendan 

Goes via a stay set with out turning up their quantity mid-set. — Robbie

If I needed to play one album on repeat, it might be 

The Wall. I really feel like I’ve by no means listened to The Wall and never loved it. — Mitchell 

I completely love At Fillmore East by the Allman Brothers Band. And when me and Mitch used to stay collectively, I’d simply play that album on repeat on a regular basis. And Mitch was in all probability identical to, are you able to please shut this off? — Robbie 

Get these Southern rockers off. — Mitchell 

I feel a stay album is a sneaky good decide for repeat. Why don’t we go along with Springsteen’s Born to Run? Considered one of my favourite albums that has a journey in it. — Brendan

The right noon consists of 

Noon beer is nice for those who don’t have something to do after that. Noon beer hits like no different. — Mitchell 

A nap within the park, laying down within the grass. — Brendan 

It’s good to get out of the house when you’ve got a work-from-home scenario. So it’s at all times good to take just a little stroll and get a breather, to interrupt up the routine just a little bit. — Robbie

To assist get via the day  

I have to hearken to music in some unspecified time in the future on daily basis, particularly if I’m working. I’m an individual who, if I’ve music in my headphones, I might simply be way more productive. — Robbie

Recently, I want a to-do checklist. I’ve been holding one within the Notes app on my cellphone. — Mitchell 

I’ve acquired to go along with a nap once more. I take advantage of that reply for lots of stuff. — Brendan

Not a day goes by with out talking to  

Sam. We stay collectively…my fiancée. — Mitchell 

Yeah, identical right here. I stay with my fiance and we’re just about connected to the hip. — Robbie 

I stay with my girlfriend as nicely, so yeah, I’ve to go along with that. — Brendan

My daydreams encompass  

Imagining regardless of the subsequent present is and ensuring it’s going nicely. — Mitchell 

Yeah, I’d say that’s truly the identical factor for me. The daydream is at all times…you fantasize concerning the subsequent present and the way good it might go. However the precise dream is it’s at all times one thing going mistaken. It’s like I’m again in faculty and I haven’t been to this class as soon as all semester and I’ve acquired to get a sure grade to cross the category after which I get up and I’m 30 years outdated. — Robbie 

Perhaps it’s not the subsequent present for me. It’s once we are headlining Madison Sq. Backyard or an enormous competition stage or one thing like that. — Brendan

I’ll at all times combat for  

Folks having the ability to simply be themselves, do what they love, be with who they love. — Mitchell 

Alone time. Regardless of how late the day ends, I at all times want these two to a few hours to do no matter I need to do, even when it means staying up just a little later. — Robbie 

Folks doing what they’re focused on or obsessed with or simply need to do and combating in opposition to the concept that you must do a sure factor in life or be on a sure path. — Brendan 

At present in love with  

I’m going to say Sam as a result of she’s going to learn this. — Mitchell 

Properly, in addition to my fiancée clearly, I’ve actually gotten into Wunderhorse currently. I’ve been listening to them a ton. I truly simply acquired tickets for his or her present at Warsaw in August. So yeah, trying ahead to that. — Robbie 

I’ll say my girlfriend too, after all. However there’s this Caroline Rose album that simply got here out and it was made, I feel, on an iPhone and it was solely out there on bodily copies and in Bandcamp. And in addition the tour, they’re solely doing DIY venues and venues that aren’t connected to sure large firms. And I’m actually impressed by that mannequin of combating in opposition to just a little little bit of the large system in music. — Brendan 

Hoping to make time to observe 

I’ve acquired to observe Severance. Everyone’s on the prepare and I really feel very overlooked. — Robbie 

Yeah, everyone wants to observe Severance. I by no means considered myself as somebody who can be watching each present that’s on and I really feel like I’m. I simply began White Lotus and I’m hate-watching it, however I’m watching it and I have to cease. — Mitchell 

White Lotus is nice, although. — Brendan 

I didn’t like this season. The opposite ones are good. — Mitchell 

I’m simply going to say extra Survivor. I watch numerous Survivor, however there’s at all times room for extra. — Brendan

By my bedside I at all times have  

A glass of water and for some cause, my checkbook is there. — Mitchell 

I at all times have 4 glasses of water at my bedside desk simply accumulating from the final a number of days and I’m in all probability on the level the place I want to scrub that up now. — Robbie 

Yeah, a glass of water, a masks, and three books I’m not studying and haven’t learn for six months. — Brendan

To assist get via the evening  

I want some noise to go to sleep to. I used to be at all times the alternative of that, however I’m getting just a little contact of tinnitus from numerous the exhibits we’ve been taking part in. So, I want some noise to drown out the buzzing. — Mitchell 

Sadly, I’m only a social media scroller and I simply do this till I go to sleep principally. And I normally go down YouTube rabbit holes, too. — Robbie 

For me it’s the masks once more. I need to go on a marketing campaign of how a lot it’s improved my sleep and I simply found it a few 12 months in the past. — Brendan

Once I take into consideration tomorrow  

Properly, I take into consideration our present at Market Lodge as a result of it actually is tomorrow. That’s our large New York launch present. We’re anticipating an enormous turnout and we’re actually excited. We could have bodily copies of our vinyl on the market. So it’s a pleasant large celebration right here within the Brooklyn space. — Mitchell

Yeah, amen to that one. — Robbie

To see our working checklist of the highest 100 best rock stars of all time, click on right here.

Source link