Words by Willa Rudolph / Photos by Owen Lehman
Brooklyn based indie-rock duo Big Blind has just released their first two singles: “Rugby” and “The Kicker.” The Deli Mag sat down with the two besties to discuss their baby-steps as a band and how their introduction to the NYC music scene has been!
Their two debut singles are sonically reminiscent of some alternative/indie singer-songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers or Snail Mail, and the band has those sweet and sincere vocals, but instead couples them with some more rough-around-the-edges sounds of grungy guitars and drums. Utilizing harmonies that are off the beaten path, Big Blind create a unique feeling, like they’re figuring it out as they go and it miraculously comes out sounding like angels.
The two best friends Arly Scott and Lauren Whyte are playing a show at Mercury Lounge on January 29th, opening for Tobacco Road. Check out what they have to say below!
When did you both start playing music together?
Lauren: We started playing 2023; Arly used to make solo music, and I played in her band a little.
Arly: We started writing together in 2022. Officially our first show as a band was 2 months ago at Union Pool!
What about each other did you like in terms of creating together?
A: We went to school together, and we kind of gravitated towards each other at school, but we didn’t become close friends until after I graduated. We really bonded over a pretty bad breakup that Lauren went through. Being the two girls in our songwriting class, it was a lot of male energy, it felt like. That’s something that we bonded from. We just really clicked when we started writing together.
L: I went to visit Arly in LA for a week and we wrote a bunch of music. What made me wanna keep writing with her was the way she understood what I was saying without me having to put it in explicit words. Having a collaborator and a best friend that can tap into what you’re feeling is such a gift.
Why choose “Rugby” and “The Kicker” as your first two singles?
L: It’s the storytelling. “Rugby” is about a big heartbreak I went through and “The Kicker” is about a big heartbreak Arly went through. Our stories are encapsulated through our words in both those songs.
A: We exchanged love letters to each other, and completed each other’s stories. These were the first two–it was interesting how they’re both from one perspective but we were able to make them both our own. It was the strongest blend between the two of us.
What are some of your sonic influences?
A: We really love shoegaze music. Even though we come from more “singer/songwriter” backgrounds, we just love a wall of sound. We love crunchy but also glittery guitars. We really try to play around with that and our harmonies, trying to use our harmonies in a less conventional way and in more of a shoegazey space.
L: You’re speaking my language.
A: But “The Kicker” is also not super shoegazey– we’re playing around with a lot of genres.
What are you looking forward to most about your show?
L: It was really exciting to dive into Tobacco Road’s discography. They also have a female lead, so we always want to team up with female leads in the indie rock scene.
For our set, we’re playing mostly unreleased songs, since we have only the two out. For anyone who likes our music and wants more, they’re gonna have to come see it live!
A: The set is a lot louder and spacier than what the two songs we have out are already giving you. So it’s gonna be a fun surprise of what is to come.
How do you like the NYC indie music scene, and how have you found your transition into becoming a part of it?
L: What I’ve liked about it the most is how supportive other artists are of each other and willing to share opportunities. It’s very much “help me, help you,” which feels supportive, especially with other women.
A: We’ve really found our community, which feels so right. We have our friend Ben Coleman, who is both our friend and producer. He, himself, is in a couple of different projects. Everyone is so excited to welcome us into their worlds. So we’ve been meeting people through different outlets of the community, like shows, sessions, hanging out…everyone wants to work together and everyone loves to make music.
Where do you love to go see music in the city?
A: Baby’s!
L: Yeah, we played Baby’s [All Right] when Arly was doing her own music. It’s definitely our favorite that we’ve played.
A: We love “Baby’s Dance,” the free shows they do. And we would love to play there as Big Blind.
L: We also love Night Club 101.
What inspired your name?
L: We were playing poker with her dad.
A: My dad loves poker
L: We were going back and forth about what name we wanted. We wanted to use the word “blind”, and he slapped down that big blind poker chip, and we were like, “THAT’S IT!”
A: It’s really annoying, because we learned Lauren is really good at poker. We were both learning for the first time and Lauren is much better than me!
What can people look forward to in 2026?
L: New music! It’s gonna be songs we’ve already been playing live. People will be excited about how the songs come together, and how they sound produced and mixed.
A: Live shows and new music!
Keep up with Big Blind here 🙂