Big Vic

Shoegaze exists in the relationship between noise and catharsis. The louder and heavier arrangements are, the more emotive and vulnerable they become. It’s in this simple math where Big Vic calculated their geometry. Shaped around the dynamic voice of guitarist Victoria Rinaldi (she/her), the Ann Arbor four-piece challenges genre conventions by vigorously shaking them, letting shards of other genres break off and make themselves heard. Debut LP Girl, Buried, recorded and mixed by guitarist Geoff Brown (he/him), brims with the confidence of seasoned veterans while threatening to flip a scene’s pecking order on its head.

Big Vic exists as Victoria’s response to the lack of diversity and presence of Asian women in heavier music scenes. Rinaldi, who had been writing songs since high school, formed Big Vic while attending the University of Michigan, testing lineups by filtering through campus musicians. After syncing up with Brown and the rest of the band—drummer/vocalist Joe Fortino (he/him) and bassist Ines Hidalgo (she/her), they began playing shows in the southeastern part of the state.

If not for the pandemic, the road to Girl, Buried might’ve been shorter and different. Big Vic’s songs, ringing clear with the pang of confusion, identity, and belonging, don’t mind the extra mile.

Pictures by Jared Talcott and Christina Stoever
Bio by James Cassar