Melbourne’s self-described “slut-pop” artist Big Wett doesn’t usually need to compete for attention. But when she speaks to NME ahead of today’s release of her debut EP ‘Pu$$y’, her beautiful border collie Banjo demands the spotlight.
As she joins our Zoom call from her backyard Cruiser, Banjo is all barks, bringing over consecutively bigger toys for attention. “Not now! Mummy’s being a pop star,” she says. “You’re going to have to mention him, or he’ll be really upset. I wonder where he gets it from.”
Big Wett had our attention ever since she released her first track, ‘Eat My Ass’, in late 2021. Beginning as a lockdown lark, Big Wett soon caught on for her larger-than-life, sex-positive persona, signing to UK label PIAS with just two tracks online.
Citing influences like Peaches, Lil’ Kim, Madonna, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and of course Kim Petras (“When I heard [Petras EP] ‘Slut Pop’, I was like, this is a genre”), Big Wett forgoes any innuendo for the literal. Matching her wit and lewd humour (lyrics include “I got a sick pussy/so I took it to the vet”) with pared-back club beats influenced by ’90s techno and electroclash, Big Wett is abrasive, unapologetic and absolutely not for everyone.
Big Wett. Credit: Marcus Coblyn
“I get the people that say, ‘oh my god, think about the kids watching this’,” she tells NME. “I don’t really want an eight-year-old learning how to eat ass. I’m not asking to be a role model. But if you get it, you get it. If you don’t, that’s so fine. I’d rather they keep scrolling and make room for the people who are fun and cool.”
‘Pu$$y’ – co-written and co-produced by Lewis Stephenson, aka Confidence Man’s Reggie Goodchild – is a fast and furious party-starter, with tracks like ‘G-Spot’, ‘Number 1 Pussy’ and ‘King Dick’ all sitting under three and a half minutes. She’s proven her power live, winning over festival crowds across the UK and Australia at Splendour in the Grass, Meredith Music Festival, The Great Escape and Pitch Music & Arts.
While freely admitting Big Wett is a performance, the pansexual artist – who does not use her legal name publicly – says she “lives the Big Wett lifestyle” of hedonistic hookups and partying. As she tells NME, cig in hand and tooth gems sparkling in the mid-afternoon light: “We’re here to have fun, babes.”
“I have the greatest time wherever I go”
NME: Big Wett is all about sex and self-assuredness. Have you always had that confidence in you, or did it take time?
Big Wett: “I was born with a very outgoing personality and a flair for putting on a show, whether that be in class at school distracting everyone, or just in regular conversation.
“Now I’m 32, I’ve had a lot of life experience. The beautiful thing about coming into your thirties is you have so much more confidence and understanding of who you are. The older you get, the more you realise that you have no idea what you’re doing.
“And if we all just admit that, then it’s like, ‘oh my God, let’s fuck up together. Let’s learn together. Let’s have a good time doing it’. I don’t want to pretend to be perfect. I’m totally chaotic. You should see my room, my house, my brain. But I’m here for it. I’m here to just revel in the chaos. Otherwise, you put too much pressure on yourself. So let’s just be silly.”
What can people expect at a Big Wett show?
“I don’t want to give anything away! But when I watch live music, I love having something to see. I want it to be an all-round sensory experience, something to hear, something to touch, something to smell. That’s my ultimate goal, but we’re going to need a bit more money. We’ll get there.
“I definitely take inspiration from drag shows, clubs, pop music, but it’s a bit more theatrical than that, like burlesque theatre. I’m doing a magic trick in the new show: a fun, silly-sexy one. There’s just a bunch of dumb shit in there. It’s a good time.”
Big Wett. Credit: Marcus Coblyn
What’s your number one party tip?
“Go with people that you really love, respect and appreciate, and that you know won’t leave you behind or make you feel unsafe. It’s about who you spend your night with and if you feel loved there, as fucking lame as that sounds.
“I don’t think it’s really about where you go or what you’re doing – it’s more about the people you’re connecting with. All people want in the end is to be loved and to love someone and have it be reciprocated.”
And without getting too RuPaul quote about it, when queer people go out, it’s more than just partying. It’s about connection, even family.
“It’s one of the many things I love about the queer community. This is a generalisation, but queer people are so unapologetically themselves and love unconditionally because they know what it’s like to be loved with conditions.
“That’s why the gays are the best, because they love and they party. And when I say party, I don’t mean necessarily just go out and get fucked up. Yes, we dance. Yes, we party, but we also connect with our friends and make each other feel loved and held. That’s what we’re all looking for.”
Big Wett. Credit: Marcus Coblyn
‘Don’t You Want It All’ is filled with dancefloor conversation starters: ‘what’s your favourite club? Are you in the scene? Are you on ketamine?’. When it comes to club chats, are you a D&M-er, or do you like to keep it light and fun?
“I’m kind of both, but I hate when people try and have a D&M on the dance floor. I will have a one or two-sentence exchange, but I’m dancing, c*nt! There’s a time and a place to have a D&M, I’m all about it. Come around, I’ll fucking chew your ear off and I’ll want you to chew mine off. But at a club? Not interested.”
Where have you had some of the best nights of your life?
“Honestly, I have the greatest time wherever I go. Fuck, I’ll tell you what – I can sniff out a good time, and that’s a double entendre.”
Big Wett’s debut EP ‘Pu$$y’ is out now via PIAS. She tours Australia in November
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