Biography

Big Little Lions is the ferocious songwriting duo of Helen Austin and Paul Otten. Both successful singer/songwriters in their own right, they met while both on a conference songwriting member success panel and then a couple of years later started the band from afar, with Helen based on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada and Paul in Cincinnati, OH.

Helen’s accolades include a JUNO win, a Canadian Folk Music Award, an ISC win and a John Lennon Songwriting Competition Grand Prize while Paul was recently awarded the John Braheny Songwriting Award, was a Song of the Year Contest finalist and produced several of the tracks on Helen’s most recent JUNO award winning album. Together they have won first place in the International Songwriting Contest and a Lennon Award in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition.

“The duo's sound mixes the new school folk of Mumford and Sons with a dance rhythm that keeps the music sounding light and upbeat. It also doesn't hurt that their songs are very catchy and aided by how well Austin and Otten's voices complement each other.” - Examiner.com

Both of them are hugely prolific songwriters and between them they have had hundreds of TV, movie and ad placements, one show playing their individual songs back to back. 

“Helen Austin and Paul Otten have displayed a mere taste of what is to come in the next several months and it is pure radio gold. If record companies and Music Directors know what is good for them, they will strongly consider giving this tandem the spotlight they have earned.”
In their collaborative body of work as Big Little Lions, Helen is the heart and soul and Paul is the bones and blood.  Their songs are a dynamic fusion of feel-good and deep emotion that leave the listener with a strong emotional reaction and have been described as "Pomplamoose meets Mumford & Sons".

“Their lilting voices carress the ear as a familiar memory is struck in one measure then the next measure pulls you to another level in the song.”
Before even releasing any music one of their songs was featured in MTV’s Catfish, ABC’s The Vineyard and three Ikea commercials.

“This team of Otten and Austin is bound for some huge things and listeners will be grateful for being part of the ride.”