BORN in Cork, raised in Spain (Malaga) and now based in London, Jessica Smyth (aka Biig Piig) is one of modern pop’s genuine one-offs, making some of the 2020’s finest indie-pop. She has come of age across a period of experimentation and self-evaluation.
She began writing songs as a teenager just for herself and soon made her breakthrough in open mic sessions and Soundcloud uploads in 2016 to releasing a trilogy of DIY EPs.
Her big beats and tranquil soulful melodies take influences from all her travels, singing in English and sometimes adding a verse in Spanish.
She told Dork magazine, “Spanish for me is a nice tool because whenever I feel like I need to say something either directly to the person that the song is about or about a situation that I don’t feel I have the confidence to say in English. When there’s something I want to say, but I don’t want that person to know, I just say it in Spanish. I feel like the stuff I say in Spanish is more vulnerable compared to English. It’s kind of like a weird code, I guess.”
The oldest of four, Jess spent her formative years in Malaga, before moving to Shepherd’s Bush and later working as a poker dealer. Despite speaking English at home, Biig Piig initially only knew how to read and write in Spanish; a rocky transition through which eventually she found her people. These proved to be college-mates NiNE8 Collective, the eight-person-strong network of London-based creatives which Jess founded alongside Lava La Rue.
Jess signed to RCA Records who released her EP ‘No Place for Patience, Vol. 3’ and counts Billie Eilish among her millions of fans (‘Shh’ is Billie’s favourite son to relax to).
Biig Piig’s debut mixtape ‘Bubblegum’ is due for release on January 20, 2023 via RCA, the project was introduced with suitably-explosive first track, ‘Kerosene’.
Biig Piig has moved between genres and stories with songs that speak effortlessly of youth culture with Follow up release ‘Fun’ and the new drop ‘This is What They Meant’ which debuted as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record.
Along the way, the Cork-born ex-poker dealer has earned a vast global audience for her instantly-identifiable sound.
Biig Piig plays Dolans Warehouse on Saturday March 25 followed by Kate Brennan Harding & Graham Smyth DJ set on the terrace.
