In Depth - bdrmm
Bdrmm on touring with Mogwai, upcoming album and how the joy of little things keeps them going.
An eventful few years it has been for bdrmm since the release of their debut album in the midst of lockdown, a release which has resurfaced a worldwide love for the shoegaze genre in ways that even the band could never imagine.
“It was unbelievable” explains singer-songwriter Ryan Smith, “It'll never die, it’s just a part of us now”. The ethereal guitar tones, energetic percussion and the sincerity and openness of “Bedroom” led to an outstanding critical reception which earned the group some very memorable opportunities since the return of live music, including touring alongside Scottish post-rock icons Mogwai.
“Every day we were taking notes” says bassist Joe Vickers before making an honest admission, “It's weird because none of us were massive Mogwai fans before we got asked”. It did not take long for good impressions to be made as Vickers tells more of life on tour with Stuart Braithwaite’s acclaimed group “It’s just the way they treat people and go about their business”.
Between being gifted a snare drum, learning of backstage antics like the coat hanger game and even being stitched up by Braithwaite after a failed attempt at said game, bdrmm seemed to absorb a lot from life on tour with the acclaimed Glaswegians.
“They’re just as daft as we are, and it was nice to see people still enjoying it the same way after so many years” tells Vickers. On one occasion, Vickers recalls Braithwaite exclaiming that they reminded him of Mogwai when they were just kickstarting their career as musicians, “It was just beautiful”.
Amongst all the time spent playing live shows across Europe, the four-piece have still found the time to work on some new material, with an exciting update on when we can expect to hear their sophomore album. “Definitely next year”, tells Vickers before trying to describe the new work, “It’s massively sonically different, just absolutely huge”.
The group has once again teamed up with producer Alex Grieves, who worked with the band during the making of their first album. “He just seems to enjoy things” tells Smith, “We started recording the second album at his mate’s farm, and he was just telling us how he’d never seen anyone so in love with music like Alex”.
“He’ll just spend an hour on a drum pad, he’s so meticulous, it’s brilliant” interposes Vickers, “We’ve written songs in half an hour, taken them in thinking they’re the best thing ever, and he’ll just go `Well that needs a chorus, to start with’”.
The band find that this tough love approach is what makes Grieves so valuable as a producer, “Just who you’d want to play with, he never settles and always brings out the best in us”. Drummer Connor Murray even compares the process to that of film “Whiplash”. “Not that he throws chairs”, he exclaims, “He throws metaphorical chairs”.
Questioned on the feeling of playing one of the most renowned stages at End of The Road festival the same night, the group seem to have not lost the sense of wonder about life as a touring musician. “We walked in today saying `what the f**k is happening’”, they all agree, before recalling a relevant conversation earlier this year which encapsulates the band’s unceasing enthusiasm for what they do. “I remember talking to Stu(Mogwai) and asking if they ever lose that sense of naivety and that joy of the little things, and he told us `No, that’s what keeps you going’”.
Discussing their most cherished memories from the past few years such as playing with a view of the alps in Switzerland, recent highlights like being upgraded to first class and drinking champagne on the ferry back from the Netherlands, and slipping into an extensive discussion about each of their favourite meals only minutes before playing to hundreds of people (of which highlights include Vickers’ trio of pies suggestion), it is evident that bdrmm have not lost a single bit of love for their crafts. It is of no surprise that this passion bleeds into their energy on stage, and their brilliance on record.
Words by Jay Cohen
