It’s been one hell of a career for Leeds, England’s Dinosaur Pile-Up, and the band’s latest opus, I’ve Felt Better, out Aug 22 via Mascot Label Group, is a hard-won accomplishment. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Bigland describes his band as the DJ at a party where 90s grunge and alternative bands invited their favorite metal and thrash bands, and then the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Weezer showed up unexpectedly. But that party was stopped in its tracks during the pandemic when Bigland began presenting with mysterious symptoms that left his immune system extremely compromised. His journey back to wellness makes the upcoming release not just a return to form, but a triumphant testament to survival, resilience, and the unshakable will to keep creating in the face of physical and psychological collapse.
“I’m feeling great with only a couple a month or so left until it’s out!” exclaims Bigland. “It feels great to have new music out there in the world after a really tough couple of years away. I’m really proud of this record and stand behind it.”
It’s their first in six years, a timeframe that has been marred by serious struggles and uncertainties. Between being in a toxic relationship, a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis that left him hospitalized multiple times, and finding true love, he turned to Instagram for a four-part video explaining the hardships he had and continues to go through. It’s heartbreaking to watch, but his resiliency knows no bounds. Even during such a tumultuous time for Bigland, there were two beacons of hope: recovery and meeting his wife, Karen Dió.
“My mindset during that time was bad, and staying positive was really challenging,” admits Bigland. “Hospital visits became a routine and a regular reminder I really wasn’t ok. For sure, one of the most challenging couple of years of my life. Meeting Karen changed everything for me. She was, in that dark time, and always will be, a beam of sunshine in my life. Meeting her completely changed my state of mind, my priorities, and my goals. Even though my health was in shambles, I had a future with her that I was going to build no matter what, and that motivated and inspired me to keep going.”
Sometimes, when you’re too close to the situation, it can be hard to see the overall picture and how everything is fitting together. Bigland has been able to understand his boundaries and set them healthily while also learning to respect himself more. All these feelings translated into I’ve Felt Better. From articulating low self-esteem and self-confidence, to harnessing the creative powers that be, while in a truly devastating battle, Bigland’s heart shone through brightly.
“All of this became the inspiration and the subject matter of the record. The incredible struggle and loneliness of being sick, the joy of meeting K, and the overwhelming and insane state of the world at that point in time are solidified into this record. It felt very real, and thus a title as literal as I’ve Felt Better felt appropriate. I like its realness, as well as its excruciatingly understated nature.”
2025 seems to be the year for Dinosaur Pile-Up where everything is truly coming together. Not only are they about to release amazing new music, but they have also been personally asked by A Day to Remember to join them on a massive tour coming this fall. They may have started as a local band in 2007, but they have made themselves known worldwide. Bigland looks back on nearly 20 years and can’t help but be proud.
“It’s been a long road. I can’t speak for the guys, but I think I’ve learnt what my boundaries are. I’ve learnt about resilience and my staying power. It’s tough out there. I think what we’re most proud of is that we’re still here, and we’re still growing.”
I’ve Felt Better is out Friday, and you can preorder it from Mascot Label Group. Follow Dinosaur Pile-Up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for future updates.
Photo Credit: Tom Brooker
