Biig Piig

Jessica Smyth, known by the stage name Biig Piig, is an Irish singer and rapper, based in West London. She performs in English and Spanish and is signed to RCA Records.

Biig Piig
Birth nameJessica Smyth
Born22 January 1998
Genres
Years active2016–present
LabelsRCA Records
Associated acts
  • Lava La Rue
  • Mac Wetha

Early life

Smyth was born in Cork, Ireland, she grew up in Spain,[1] where her family had moved on advice that the climate would be better for her brother's asthma[2] from age four to 12. Upon moving with her family back to Ireland, she was at first able to read and write only in Spanish, and had to reintegrate into Irish culture. After living in Waterford and then Kerry, when she was 14 the family moved to West London,[3] where Smyth worked as a late-night poker dealer[4] and where her parents continue to run a pub.[5]

She began writing songs in during her first six months in London prior to starting school there,[6] influenced by acoustic balladeers like Lewis Watson and Ben Howard.[7] At first she wrote in a folk style, on guitar and ukulele. Then in a Music Tech class at Richmond College she met Lava La Rue, founder and Creative Director[8] of NiNE8, a collective of like-minded young DIY musical artists.[9]

During this period Smyth performed at Soho open mics, joined NiNE8, and found a new voice at a freestyling session in 2015[10] where she also met Mac Wetha, with whom she began writing and who became a major producer for her.

Career

In 2016 Smyth began uploading her music to Soundcloud. In 2017 her single 'Vice City' caught the attention of digital music platform COLORS, who invited her to record a live video session of the song at their Berlin studios. Released on 13 April, it was a breakthrough for her, and has been viewed over seven million times on YouTube[11] and streamed more than five million times on Spotify. She followed it up with the singles '24K' and 'Perdida'. The latter gained her further notice and has netted more than eleven million Spotify streams.

On 27 April 2018 she released the first of a trilogy of projects, the five-track EP Big Fan of the Sesh, Vol 1.[12] Its sequel, A World Without Snooze, Vol 2, followed on 22 March 2019. In June of that year she signed to RCA Records.,[13] releasing the track 'Roses and Gold' 2 October 2019 in advance of a headlining European tour[14] and her first official label release 'Sunny',[15] produced by Zach Nahome.

The third in her trilogy, No Place For Patience, Vol. 3, her first EP on RCA, was released in November 2019.[16]

Stage name

Smyth found the pseudonym 'Biig Piig' on a pizza menu.[17] She has explained that the name 'puts no pressure on me to be a certain way – I can be a mess, and I can also be cute and put together.'[18]

References
  1. Freyaldenhoven, Laura (20 November 2019). "Biig Piig: Finding a home in music". Dork. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  2. Williams, Jenessa (10 December 2019). "CLASS OF 2020: BIIG PIIG". DIY. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  3. Freyaldenhoven, Laura (20 November 2019). "Biig Piig: Finding a home in music". Dork. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  4. Cochrane, Greg (12 September 2017). "Behind Biig Piig's minimal songwriting is an ex-poker dealer embracing her own messy world". Loud and quiet. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  5. Joshi, Tara (12 October 2019). "One to watch: Biig Piig". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  6. Cahill, Ryan (10 May 2018). "Biig Piig". Wonderland. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  7. Cochrane, Greg (12 September 2017). "Behind Biig Piig's minimal songwriting is an ex-poker dealer embracing her own messy world". Loud and quiet. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  8. Byrne, Stephen (28 January 2019). "BIIG PIIG". Golden Plec. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  9. Bulut, Selim (6 April 2018). "Biig Piig: Finding a home in music". Dazed. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  10. Ramos, Chuck (28 August 2018). "Biig Piig: Finding a home in music". Ones to Watch. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  11. "Biig Piig - Vice City - A COLORS SHOW". YouTube. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  12. Williams, Jenessa (10 December 2019). "CLASS OF 2020: BIIG PIIG". DIY. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  13. Kerwick, Sean (21 October 2019). "INTRODUCING BIIG PIIG". DIY. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  14. "BIIG PIIG SHARES HAZY NEW TRACK 'ROSES AND GOLD'". DIY. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  15. Samways, Gemma. "Biig Piig: Together, apart". Crack Magazine. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  16. Rudas, Matthew (4 November 2019). "Biig Piig Showcases Her Versatility and Dreamlike Vocals in 'No Place for Patience, Vol. 3'". Ones to Watch. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  17. Biddles, Claire (15 March 2018). "On The Rise: Biig Piig". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  18. Bulut, Selim (6 April 2018). "Biig Piig: Finding a home in music". Dazed. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
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