New band alert: Bedridden

“Riffage” is not a word I’ve used for a very long time, but it’s one I’ve had a lot of fun with in the past as a writer. Bedridden are one of the few shoegaze-y bands out there that I would say know how to create riffage, or “ear pounding melodic boners” as Urban Dictionary so eloquently defines the word. I’m not even sure I would call Bedridden shoegaze (they don’t seem to subscribe exclusively to the genre), but hey, let’s go with that based on their influences and the company they share.

Formed a few years back in New Orleans by an emo hopeful named Jack Riley, Bedridden upped and made the move to the much more band-friendly city of Brooklyn. Riley then put together a band to record his first EP, 2023’s Amateur Heartthrob, which got a released on cassette by TAGABOW’s label, Julia’s War. Not long after, Riley put together a proper band with Sebastian Duzian, Nicholas Pedroza and Wesley Wolffe. That line-up has now made the exquisitely-named debut album by Bedridden, Moths Strapped to Eachother’s Backs.

While I would definitely describe Amateur Heartthrob’s sound as ‘gazier, Moths just sounds like a massive rock record by comparison. Momma’s Aron Kobayashi Ritch returned to produce and mix the album, and this time he maximized everything about Bedridden’s songs, pushing them into the realm of heaviness akin to Hum’s “Comin' Home” and Smashing Pumpkins’ “Quiet.” Seriously, the whole album rips.

To quote rising shoegaze superstars Glixen, “bedridden is so good.”

I saw the band was featured on Stereogum recently and the writer seemed to have an issue with the name Bedridden. I think it was partly in jest, but he really went off on it. Where did your band’s name come from? And what do you say to such criticism about it?

Jack Riley: All press is good press ! We found that article to be hilarious. It was our first day of touring down to SXSW and it fueled our fire. The band name originated from a time in New Orleans in which I had gone homeless and was couch surfing. I had to chuck my mattress in the trash. I was ridden off my bed as opposed to being stuck in it. This seems to be a recurring trend in my life and when the name came to me, it stuck. So to you, “Big Dog” over at Stereogum, we are not changing our name. I found that article to be lazy journalism, and yes we also think that the song is “pretty good.”

P.S. We’re selling Bedridden shirts and have one with your name on it, Stereogum.

What would you say is the biggest difference between the new album, Moths Strapped To Each Other’s Backs, and your previous EP, Amateur Heartthrob?

Amateur Heartthrob is more of a landscape to me. It spans a broad array of styles and themes and I hadn’t quite honed in on the idiosyncrasies of my musicianship. It leaned heavily on my influences as a musician and previous memories that weren’t as relevant to the times in which I wrote the record. It’s very wry and I was picking on myself.

Moths is much more concise in my opinion. I think the songs and lyrics are very direct, intentional, and borderline painful to write: both records are still riffy and melodic as Bedridden songs tend to be, but I think that every part in Moths serves a purpose. The melodies are charged, angry, and sombre, matching the feelings I was having toward the events surrounding the songwriting. The production and performances are better. I think overall, we came into our own much more than with Amateur Heartthrob.

You recorded both records with Aron Kobayashi Ritch, who has worked with some great artists, like Hotline TNT and his own band, Momma. What is it about working with Aron that clicks for you as a band?

I met Aron around four years ago through Momma and he’s an awesome guy. He’s great to hang with but still very professional in the studio. We’re both music nerds but he’s got all of the technical skills that I don’t to make an awesome sounding record. I think that Aron excels in making stylized rock music very palpable to a large audience. All aspects of the songs we’ve done with him come through and sound crisp. It’s pop-style production hidden behind loud guitars, which is what had drawn me to working with him in the first place. He also works very quickly and we were able to knock out the tracking of Moths in six studio days. I also want to thank him for convincing me to push my vocals to the front because I’m much too afraid to do so myself. The new Momma record sounds incredible too.

In the video for "Chainsaw" you guys have some fun with the titular tool. I'm sure everyone has wanted to destroy some shit with a chainsaw in their life. How much fun was that? Where did all of the lamps come from?

Chainsaws are super fun but definitely not a toy as we learned. We were on someone else’s land in Phoenicia, NY so we had to be pretty sparse with the destruction. But we definitely got all the shots we needed. The song touches on the topic of some old roommates of mine incessantly hunting for lamps and how it had bothered me, so I took that and ran with the idea. If I broke all of them and the mania would end was kinda the idea. All the lamps were thrifted in NYC a day before the filming of the video. I had to carry two of them a mile and a half back to my house, which was awesome.

I noticed you feature a VHS copy of Kung Pow! Enter the Fist in the video, which is as random as it gets. What is the significance of that film? (FWIW I haven't seen it, but I've heard it's, uh, special.)

Yes ha ha, I figured this might come up. I’ve personally never seen it either and it has no significance to me either. Nick has this small portable VHS player that he brought camping with a stack of tapes. This one found its way in. The b-roll footage was sent off to get edited and that shot creeped in. From what I’ve heard, I don’t think that film is for me either.

Bedridden have chosen the cassette as the physical format for releasing music. What is it about tapes that you prefer to CDs or vinyl?

Tapes are cheap to produce and cool to hold. I feel like it’s something that’s become very commonplace in the DIY scene. It’s a cool way to support other bands, especially while they’re touring. With everything on streaming these days, tapes seem like a collector’s item for fans that can be sold at an affordable price, which I like to be able to offer. Having Jwar print us tapes feels like I’m a part of the new Dischord Records. We’re hoping to eventually do vinyl as well though.

The Amateur Heartthrob tapes are currently sold out, but that’s at the top of my list of things to get done, Although the first pressing is the grail as the record is titled “Amateur Romance” in very fine print on the front cover. More than a small typo!

Can I get a quick summary of how Bedridden formed?

I formed Bedridden in New Orleans alongside Allegra Weingarten from Momma. We had a batch of emo songs that never got recorded or released. Once that fizzled out I kept the name and wrote an EP that was much more dreamy than what you hear now. That was never released either. Upon moving to NYC, I began writing Amateur Heartthrob and teamed up with a couple of new pals. When they periodically left, Nick (drums) and Sebi (bass) joined the band and solidified the line up. I got a little less angsty and a little more angry, which fuels what the band has become. Wesley (guitar) joined about seven months ago and I’m super stoked with how we all play together.

What are some of your influences?

Oh man, so many. When I was a kid I loved The Smiths and Radiohead. I think that’s where a lot of the maximalist and melodic lead guitar parts come from. Later on it was My Bloody Valentine all the way, which is where the volume comes from. After that, I started listening to a lot of ‘90s alt, such as the Smashing Pumpkins and Hum, and knew I wanted to make riff heavy rock. My friend’s dad bought me an OP Amp Billy Corgan big muff while I was filling in for his David Bowie cover band in San Francisco and that was that. Now I listen to a lot of newer bands that are doing the alt revival, like Narrow Head, as well as a fair share of emo music, from Braid to more obscure stuff like Lync. Nick loves The Cleaners From Venus and System of a Down. Sebi is a reformed jazz cat and definitely brings some of that style to the table. Wesley is a post-punk guy and has his awesome solo project, Wesley Wolffe, that everyone needs to listen to ASAP.

How did you discover shoegaze?

I used to skate and heard “Drive It All Over Me” by MBV in a video and fell in love. I really start digging in after that and bought a Fender Jaguar immediately.

What is your favourite shoegaze band?

Right now I’d have to say that it’s Majesty Crush and has been for a while. I think it stands out because it’s got soul. They’re not trying to riff too hard but the songs just cut through with this loose pop sentiment. It’s sexy, ha ha. I do love all the classics though, like MBV, Swervedriver, etc.

What is your food of choice while recording?

I personally get stressed out in the studio and never want to eat. I would prefer an ice cold Miller Lite to take the edge off. We recorded Moths at Studio G in Brooklyn and there were a ton of options over there. There’s a cheap pasta spot called Forma over there that we all got down with.

What is a TV show that the band watches together?

We’re YouTube guys usually. The dumber the content, the better.

What is the album that is most played when the band is hanging out together or on tour?

We listen to We’re Not Here to be Loved by Fleshwater quite a bit. It gets us amped for shows. We usually start a jam on Spotify and add to it in the car so we get a nice variety and everyone is happy. Although, I have been forcing the band to listen to Parachutes by Coldplay quite a bit recently.

What is an activity the band does together outside of music?

We’re bar flys. We love going for beers. Wesley and I have been hitting the club too.

What are some other names you considered for your band?

We get called the Bed Boys from time to time. I kinda like that.

What is the hardest part of being a band?

In NYC, it’s definitely finding time to do it. Besides that, it’s all smiles. The writing process for me is pretty damn taxing on my mind though, it seems to be all I can think about.

What is the best part of being a band?

I think we all take a lot of pride in our live performance. Playing a good show makes our entire week.

What is another band from New Orleans and/or Brooklyn that fans of Bedridden should know about?

For Nola, it’s definitely Pope. Alex writes like Elliott Smith and Matt writes like Yo La Tengo, and they just blend together so well and know how to make a unique pop song. For NYC, Dan Poppa, who goes by People I Love, is one of the city’s best songwriters right now in our opinion. And don’t forget about our very own Wesley Wolffe.

If you had to pick only one subgenre listed on your Bandcamp page to describe your music it would be?

Hyper emo speed rock.

What are most of your lyrics about?

Moths is all about interpersonal relationships, partying, and mania. Sometimes these things don’t go too well together, as I’ve recently found out. As I crept toward my late 20s, the symptoms of my lifestyle and bipolar began to get more severe but I grew more comfortable talking about it. Every song tends to be a story surrounding a specific event in which these things were prevalent.

What is your favourite venue to play and why?

It’s a tie between Baby’s All Right and TV Eye. Both sound amazing on and off stage. TV Eye does have that huge backyard too.

What is your favourite record shop in the world?

Domino Record Shack in New Orleans is pretty unanimously our favourite. It’s pretty small but full of gems. We dig the punk and metal section and all the records are cheap.

What is your favourite band of the 1990s?

Jack: To be honest, it’s gotta be Radiohead.

Nick: Nirvana.

Wesley: U.S. Maple.

Sebi: MBV.