9+1 Q&A with bdrmm

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

I’d been brought up in a very musical family, I think it was subliminally drilled into me. From hearing Urban Cookie Collective on repeat when my mum was practicing aerobics, or my dad introducing me to Radiohead at a criminally young age. No child should be walking to school listening to ‘Exit Music (For A Film)’, but I’m glad I did.

I’d always had a passion for music, and bdrmm was my first solo project which gave me the freedom for me to make what I wanted. I remember listening to ‘Feel It All Around’ by Washed Out on the opening of ‘Portlandia’ and being overwhelmed and unspeakably inspired, I wanted to make music like that.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

We released ‘Happy’ a few weeks ago, it’s the first single from our debut album ‘Bedroom’ that’s due out on July 3. I wrote the track about four years ago actually, but it’s stood the test of time, I can’t ever imagine us not playing it live. It’s basically about letting go, I’d been in a pretty toxic relationship, and sometimes the best way of moving on is to just let go and wish the other well.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

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In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

I never actually knew what genre of music we were making to begin with. We always used to say that we’d love to watch ourselves live from another’s point of view, just so we could make a decision on what ‘genre’ we fit into. I don’t think we try and sound like anybody in particular which can be some people’s flaw, we are just inspired by a lot of different music. We definitely have found a loving home in the shoegaze scene though.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Albums
Evenings – Yore
(One of the best electronic albums I’ve ever heard, everything about it is perfect. A good friend introduced me to them. It carries a lot of nostalgia for me.)

Radiohead – In Rainbows
(The first record I bought, and the first Radiohead album I heard in full. It blew me away. ‘Weird Fishes/Arpeggi’ is spectacular. If it comes with the Basement session too that’d be nice.)

Brian Eno – Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks
(This album emotes so much. ‘An Ending (Ascent)’ and ‘Silver Morning’ are both perfect pieces of music. I recently got this bought for me on record by Jordan (bdrmm bassist) for my birthday and fell back in love with it. I think it’d be a nice record to slowly go crazy to.)

Books
The Pillowman – Martin McDonagh
(I studied performance at school, and we had to read this play, and it had such an impact on me. I went to see a university performance of it recently in Sheffield and left halfway through because I wasn’t satisfied with their performance. I then proceeded to do a one-man performance of it to my partner, she also left halfway through.)

Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace
(It’s just fucking massive. Would keep me occupied for a while.)
Hot Water Music – Charles Bukowski
(I was never a big reader, but I was given a book of short stories by an old friend and I adored his writing style, it’s so vulgar but so honest. I recently had Hot Water Music stolen by the same friend before I finished it… there’s a metaphor in there somewhere.)

Films
Interstellar (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
(Great soundtrack. Visually superb. Perfect filmmaking. If I’m stuck on a desert island, I may as well go to space for a bit.)

DIG! (Dir. Omir Timoner)
(It’s the just best music documentary isn’t it? Basically, watching The Dandy Wharhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre being passive aggressive for two hours; it’s jokes, and a great honest insight into the music biz.)

If…. (Dir. Lindsay Anderson)
(I fell in love with this film after it accompanied a pretty tough time in my life. There is a song on the album actually named after it.)

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

Playing live. Always. The thing I am missing most during this whole COVID-19 nightmare is playing live, even just practicing with the boys. We bring everything we have to our live shows, it’s 45 minutes to completely lose yourself. There is no greater feeling than standing on a stage, whether its playing to 10, 100 or the sound person. Always playing live.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

I think there are probably thousands of funny stories. We had our friend and photographer Sam come with us on tour once and document it, I’m sure that it will surface on the internet sometime soon. There are some choice moments on that.

Actually, on the first day of touring last year, Jordan shit himself in the street after a dodgy ’Spoons. “I can’t believe we live in a society where, when somebody shits themselves, everybody films it instead of helping!” I believe that’s what he shouted at us from the other side of the street.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

We have a track on the album called ‘(The Silence)’ – it’s just an interlude/ambient two-minute piece, but I remember when we recorded it, it was a surreal one. It was just me and the producer (Alex Greaves) in the studio and we were finishing ‘Happy’ and we just got lost in adding more synth and guitar and drum loops that it ended up morphing itself into its own track. I recorded vocals in the pitch black. I had work afterwards. It’s a very nice Side A closer.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

Well, as soon as my new audio interface comes from eBay, I’ll be starting to record album two. We plan to play a lot of shows next year, like a disgusting amount. We have a lot of making up to do for this year’s little unexpected break. I’ve started writing a movie score, too, so who knows where we will be next year.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

I texted all the band asking them their favorite Olympic sporting event. I thought that would be a good insight into them as people.

Luke (Drums)
Blind Football

Jordan (Bass)
“I’ve always had respect for a good Curl”

Joe (Guitar)
“Artist Swimming, because it’s watery…”

Dan (Synth)
“I have got into High Jumping…”

Photo credits: Sam Joyce

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

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