Mr. Big recently announced the release of its tenth studio album, “Ten”, on Friday, July 12 featuring 11 new original tracks. In tribute to their late drummer Pat Torpey, Martin, Gilbert, and bassist Billy Sheehan have enlisted the exceptional talents of Nick D’Virgilio on drums for “Ten”, which was produced by Jay Ruston and Mr. Big.
Today the band has shared the music video for the album’s second single “Up On You”. About the new song, frontman Eric Martin had this to say: “Who says Rock & Roll has to be serious? Most of the videos that we’ve done over the years have had a bit of humor in them. In our live show, at the end of the set, we do this thing that we call ‘The Switcheroo’ where we change instruments. I’m on bass, Billy sings, Nick plays guitar and Paul rocks the drums… it’s a lot of fun and the crowd goes wild. So the concept for the video was simple ‘Do The Switcheroo and go bat shit crazy for a couple of hours’.”
In the midst of their final tour – The BIG Finish – Mr. Big, inspired by the legions of fans that shared their goodbye over the past year, wanted to say a final farewell with the undertaking of a brand-new studio album. Culminating over three decades of musical partnership, Martin, Gilbert, and Sheehan, with the help of D’Virgilio, ignite their spark once more and take a new form with the forthcoming “Ten”.
Eric Martin previously commented about the album: “This new album doesn’t copy anything from the 9 previous studio records it’s all new stuff from scratch.. this is raw, unadulterated riff rock and blues with all the Mr. Big trimmings.”
Paul Gilbert explains the meaning behind the lyrics: “Overall, it’s about being overwhelmed with life, and realizing that you won’t win many of the battles, but still fighting to the end. And keeping a sense of humor about it by saying to anyone nearby, ‘Wish me good luck trying!'”
Pre-order the album HERE.
As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from Tears for Fears, Sheryl Crow, and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and The Animals. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins‘s place in Genesis and played on their “Calling All Stations” album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, Spock’s Beard and Big Big Train. Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil’s “Totem” as a drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.
The entirety of the album, recorded both live in the studio and on the tour bus, showcases the band’s unique ability to compose homegrown hard rock ‘n’ roll and their consistent success in climbing new musical heights.
When Mr. Big announced The BIG Finish tour last year, the band members said that it was “time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy” after Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.
Mr. Big‘s European dates kick off on July 13 in Bulgaria. For a full list of tour dates visit HERE.
