Learn Why A Great Big World’s Band Name Is NOT Mom-Approved

by Mark Graham 1/14/2014

A Great Big World have the honor of being VH1’s first You Oughta Know artist of 2014, and we’ve done little else so far this year besides sitting in our office staring at our calendar, (not so) patiently waiting for January 16 to arrive. “What’s January 16?”, you ask. That’s when the exciting two-piece will be playing a concert at Manhattan’s Highline Ballroom, which VH1 will be livestreaming at agreatbigworld.vh1.com at 9 PM/8C.

A Great Big World’s highly anticipated debut album, Is There Anybody Out There?, doesn’t drop until next Tuesday, January 21, so this will be your first chance to hear all the new songs of the fellas who brought you the #1 smash “Say Something,” as well as “This Is The New Year.” We got a chance to sit down with Ian Axel (he’s got the curly hair) and Chad Vaccarino (he doesn’t) last month and asked them about they landed on A Great Big World as their band name. As it turns out, it’s a more controversial story than we ever expected. (Ian, we hope that your mom has changed her tune on the name!)

Remember, head over to agreatbigworld.vh1.com this Thursday night, January 16, at 9/8C to check out our exclusive livestream of one of the hottest new bands in all the land!