Bo Is Learning That Nothing Is Ever Too Big, Too Big
Growing up, getting things wrong and trying to make sense of it all.
Being twenty can feel like standing in the middle of a life that is moving faster than you can understand. Friendships change, relationships become complicated, and suddenly the future feels like something you are supposed to have figured out already. For Bo, those feelings became the foundation of Too Big Too Big, a project about growing up, getting things wrong and trying to make sense of it all.
The title sounds almost like a contradiction, but that is part of its appeal. The project explores the weight of being twenty, when even ordinary experiences can feel enormous. Rather than trying to make those feelings sound neat or resolved, Bo leans into their awkwardness. The result is a collection shaped by the beautiful and uncomfortable parts of being human.
The Beauty of the In-Between
Some of the most interesting moments in life happen when nothing is quite defined. A friendship starts changing, someone becomes more than a friend, or you realise that another person isn't where you thought they were. These are the emotional grey areas that fascinate Bo.
“I just think those in-between moments are where humans are as human as we ever are,” he explains. “We're so awkward and so emotionally dumb sometimes.”
Films such as Before Sunrise and About Time have inspired his interest in these moments, where the smallest interactions can carry enormous emotional weight. That same curiosity runs through the project's songwriting, particularly in its exploration of relationships and the things people struggle to say out loud.
On “I Won't Be There Waiting for You,” the narrator insists he won't wait for someone, even though he knows he probably will. Bo is interested in that contradiction between how we present ourselves and what we know is happening underneath.
“It's so human to portray yourself as one thing and know deep down that you're another,” he says. It is an uncomfortable kind of honesty, but also a familiar one. Sometimes moving on begins with admitting that you haven't.
Making Room for Other Perspectives
Although the songs are deeply personal, Too Big Too Big was shaped by the people around Bo. Working with producer Brad Cook and a wider group of musicians gave him the opportunity to approach familiar subjects from different angles.
When writing alone, he explains, there is only one perspective to draw from. Collaborating with others introduces new ways of understanding the same experiences, whether the subject is love, friendship or life in general. His songwriting partners, including Sam Harris, brought perspectives that helped him discover different ways into a story.
One particularly memorable studio moment came on the final day of recording in North Carolina. The night before, Bo found an unfinished idea in his voice memos and sent it to Brad Cook at around 11 p.m., wishing they had time to work on it. The following morning, they decided to record it anyway.
“I wrote it all. We recorded it all. Basically everything was one take,” he recalls. Then Brad added a bassline that left Bo watching in disbelief. The song was “I Won't Be There Waiting for You,” and the spontaneous session became one of his favourite moments from making the project.
The recording environment also mattered. Working in Cook's home studio in Durham created an atmosphere that felt less formal than a traditional studio. Cook and his family welcomed Bo into their space, helping him feel at home before the recording even began. That sense of comfort made vulnerability easier, allowing everyone involved to approach the music with greater honesty.
A Record That Feels Human
The project's visual direction follows the same philosophy. Rather than relying on elaborate imagery, Bo and his creative team focused on intimacy, everyday scenes and childhood footage. The intention was to make the visuals feel as human and organic as the songs themselves.
Bo describes the project's central idea as “a 20-year-old feeling the weight of the world.” That feeling can make someone nostalgic for what has already passed or eager for whatever comes next. Both impulses exist throughout the record, alongside the uncertainty of figuring out where you belong.
Musically, the project reflects those emotional shifts through its dynamics. Quiet, restrained moments sit alongside expansive arrangements, capturing the movement between solitude and connection. The opening song, for example, begins with intimate strumming before growing into a much bigger chorus. For Bo, that transition reflects how loneliness can feel small and private, while losing a friend or watching a friendship change can suddenly feel enormous.
The title track came together differently. Written through stream-of-consciousness, it allowed Bo to follow whatever feelings and words were already coming to the surface. It eventually became the project's emotional centre, bringing together the weight of trying to understand yourself and the world around you.
Nothing Is Too Big to Share
That sense of connection is also what Bo hopes to bring to the stage. Touring with his band, many of whom are his closest friends, feels less like a formal working arrangement and more like an opportunity to spend time together. He values the trust that comes from being surrounded by people who support one another, particularly when performing such personal material.
Having watched other artists command a room, Bo is interested in making his own shows feel intimate rather than hiding behind the idea of being a performer. He wants to communicate with the audience and create a space where everyone can recognise something of themselves in the music.
Ultimately, he hopes listeners take away the same thing he found while making the project: the knowledge that difficult emotions become a little easier to carry when we discover that someone else understands them.
“Nothing is truly ever too big, too big,” he says. Recognising that another person has experienced something similar can take some of the weight away. Even naming an emotion, he believes, can begin to loosen its hold on us.
Perhaps that is the real heart of the project. Growing up doesn't mean suddenly having all the answers, or becoming immune to heartbreak, loneliness and uncertainty. It means learning to live with those feelings, finding people who understand them and allowing yourself to be honest about what you're going through. Sometimes the world still feels enormous. But you don't have to carry all of it alone.
Connect with Facebook