Big Thief have launched the Big Thief Live Archive, a free online collection of concert recordings from “the recent and distant past.” To mark the occasion, the group has also shared a live rendition of “Incomprehensible” that was recorded at Dublin’s 3Arena in April. Stream it below.
The portal comes with 10 complete concerts, with a new show set to be added on the second Tuesday of every month. Fans can browse performances from different periods of the band’s career and assemble their favorite versions of songs into personalized playlists.
The project was inspired by drummer James Krivchenia’s fascination with the Grateful Dead’s extensive catalog of live recordings, and the group began recording all their concerts around 2019. The initial recordings were captured by front-of-house engineer Alice Wilder and monitor engineer Aleda Deroche, and mixed by 4AD’s in-house engineer Fabian Prynn.
Background and Inspiration
“Every show we play holds a different energy,” the band explained in a statement. “The songs are always changing and sound different every night, and we spend so much more time on the road than in studios, and so we felt a desire to create something that captures the ever-undulating aliveness of our music through time.”
Named among Consequence’s 200 Best Songs of 2025, “Incomprehensible” was released last year as part of Double Infinity. The performance in Ireland from earlier this year offers a fresh take on what is among the album’s finest moments.
More recently, Big Thief debuted their forthcoming triple album Horsepower in its entirety during a show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in August, with guest appearances from Gillian Welch, Iris DeMent, and Lucinda Williams.
Conclusion
The Big Thief Live Archive is a unique opportunity for fans to experience the band’s live performances from various periods of their career. With new shows being added regularly, the archive is sure to be a valuable resource for fans of Big Thief and live music in general. The live rendition of “Incomprehensible” is just a taste of what the archive has to offer, and fans can look forward to exploring the many other performances and songs available on the platform.
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