Big Special release surprise new album National Average

Big Special have returned – without warning. Just months after their acclaimed debut Postindustrial Hometown Blues, the Black Country duo have dropped a new album, National Average, out now.

The big and special reveal came after a cryptic week of projection stunts across London landmarks, from the Tate Modern and London Bridge to Shoreditch High Street station and even Buckingham Palace. This sudden comeback includes a new single, ‘God Save The Pony’, and a run of intimate instore shows starting tonight at Rough Trade East.

Made up of vocalist Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney, Big Special made their name with poetic fury, heavy punk grooves and sky-shaking vocals. National Average builds on that same fire but folds in funk, self-reflection, and a darker emotional weight.

“‘God Save The Pony’ is about the stones we carry,” says Hicklin. “The invisible weights people drak through everyday life… It’s a recognition of the strain we all feel, and a well wish to keep going.”

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Where Postindustrial Hometown Blues channelled frustration and hope, this record zooms in on change – personal, political and emotional. It’s about brotherhood, grief, growth and the glue that holds people together through it all. “It’s all about the multitudes of a normal life as it begins to change,” Hicklin adds.

The tracklist includes thirteen new songs with titles like ‘Hug A Bastard’, ‘Pig’s Puddin”, and ‘I Once Had A Kestrel’. It’s darkly funny, deeply British, and driven by an honest that’s become their signature.

Alongside today’s surprise drop, the duo are heading out on instore dates across the UK this July, followed by a European tour in October and a full UK and Ireland headline run in early 2026. Support for those headline shows comes from GANS, Liz Lawrence, and Good Health Good Wealth.

Big Special’s second album is streaming now. Watch the new video for ‘God Save The Pony’ and check out full tour dates below.

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