After a variety of successful releases during 2023, Bristol indie-rock group The Bedside Morale has unveiled the highly anticipated debut EP “Still Life”!
Over the years, different forms of musical & self-expression were explored. The group bonded over their shared love of all kinds of music, & were unafraid to bring new elements into their own writing. It’s been a storied journey since those early days but the group developed into a very close-knit unit, coming to realise exactly who they were and how they fit together.
This debut EP was produced & mixed at Stage 2 Studios with Josh Gallop & is a four-track snapshot time capsule of where the band were at during the beginning of their new musical journey.
The Bedside Morale has kindly taken the time to talk with Fierce & Fabulous regarding the release of their debut EP & the creative journey behind it. You can find the full interview below.
Hey, The Bedside Morale, thank you for this interview, can you start by introducing yourselves to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Hi, yeah we’re The Bedside Morale from the UK. We are Tim Kazer on vocal/guitar, Charlie Dowzell on lead guitar, Kynan Scott on bass and Aden Dennis on drums. We’re an indie rock band but we don’t want to limit ourselves in terms of sound and vibe, I think you can hear that on the EP. There’s a lot of 80s/new wave influence, a lot of disco/soul, modern rock sounds, it’s all there and it’s a lot of fun!
How did the idea to form The Bedside Morale come together?
This band came from a previous project that three of us were in – we were a lot heavier and exploring a different sound, but gradually it became apparent that we were moving in a different direction. Initially, there were some growing pains that came with it, but collectively we came to embrace it – once you lean into what you’re doing, the results you get are really incredible. We never had to actively force the change but it required us to come to terms with what we were trying to do with our musical voice.
What was the inspiration behind the name?
We’re all into Pavement, and their song Grounded is loaded with gorgeous and evocative lyrics – one of the choruses ‘he spoke of latent causes, sterile gauzes, and the bedside morale’ really jumped out to us. There’s something about it that conjured such a visceral image, it’s really earnest and quite beautiful.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Stylistically it’s very much somewhere between indie and rock as a base, but I like to think we go on to do a bit more. Like we said there’s some 80s influence, some high-energy stuff, but we’re also up for dialling it right back. The ultimate thread underpinning our musical style is about being honest with ourselves both in terms of writing and sound – we play for the song, and we pursue what feels right until it feels complete. It’s a great experience being in such an open and collaborative band – we’re always sharing and fine-tuning ideas until we get something that is bigger than the sum of its parts. For me, that’s what makes our musical style.
You are about to release your debut EP, “Still Life”, how did the idea for this EP come together?
Still Life was actually written quite a few years ago! We recorded in early 2023 (I think?) and we’d been sitting on it for a while. We were in the process of working out what our band was doing – as said previously we were a much louder, much more different band that became The Bedside Morale. Once we’d embraced that it was quite easy really, to go on and present Still Life as we see it today. Still Life is a snapshot in time of us as people and musicians; we see that reflected in its title but also in its music.
What was some of the inspiration behind the songs on the EP?
Every song on this EP has some grounding in real life, be it love, pain, loss, or joy. I think what I always find inspiring is real life. Trying to capture some small part of what makes life everything it actually is. I don’t want songs about how you’ll move mountains for someone, I want songs about the person who makes their wife a cup of tea every single morning before they go to work no matter what. I want songs about how even though they fail or are hurt someone keeps trying and trying. Real life, that’s what inspires me every day.
What does it mean to you to share this EP with the world?
Means a whole lot! We’re practically frothing at the mouth to get it out there. We love these songs – they’re each dynamic, anthemic and vocal in their own way – and releasing some as singles has been a real joy, but it’s about time we gave the EP over. We hope it’s apparent that the love for our music comes across, and I hope people embrace it as much as we have.
What message would you like listeners to take away from this EP?
Our message to the listeners would be: Have fun, take opportunities, lean on family and friends when the going gets tough, and be true to yourself.
Are there any songs that did not make the EP that we might see released at a later date?
There are no songs that didn’t make Still Life at this point, simply because of how it came into being. But I can say we’re neck deep in writing new material and it’s amazing how quickly new songs are coming together. We’re intending to record again very soon – more to come!
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Thanks for reading and thank you for listening. Please go and listen to Still Life, and share the experience with us. We’ll be gigging very soon so it’d be wonderful to see folks there. Be excellent to one another, and party on dudes.
You can listen to “Still Life” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.
Fierce & Fabulous Revolution 