Artist Spotlight: Meet BDEE + the venomous oranges
Photo Credit: Paul Motisi
What inspired you to write the lyrics/music for 'Dinos in Vietnam Sessions?'
Will Forthman (Synth Player and vocalist): The lyrics feature recurring themes — coping with isolation and being gaslit, living with mental illness, and life on the autism spectrum. Our bassist Nick Femister wrote the lyrics to “Daysleeper,” which speaks of times when BDEE would often stay up for 72 hours straight perfecting his latest release and expressing frustration that his music isn’t getting noticed as much as it deserves to be. “Shattered Glass” speaks of the desire to raise the bar so high that it goes through the roof as the glass ceiling is shattered and the fear of being out of step with ever-changing cultural shifts looms…
“Lost In My Senses” reflects on the past and the urge to give up, while “Distress Signal” sees the band posing the question “Where do we go from here?” after getting sucked into an inter-dimensional void (a continuation of the space theme from the track Warpspeed). “ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM” tackles the feeling like a square peg trying to fit in. That is especially close to home for people on the autism spectrum, as fitting in is a matter of survival in the face of constant adversity.
BDEE (Guitarist and vocalist): The music is inspired by bands like Slowdive, The Mars Volta, Gang of Four, Bloc Party, Sonic Youth, Queens of the Stone Age, David Bowie, The Cure and much more.
I especially love the solo on the live version of Ultraviolet Spectrum. It still shows that Jazzmasters are great shredding guitars and that Squier models are very well built, especially the one I have. It is still one of my favorite purchases. I love the tone of it for reals!
Were there any moments in the recording process where you knew you had something special?
Will: This session is a live recording which features all of the tracks from our latest EP, ‘ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM’ as well as some old ones. We recorded that EP during the pandemic, while everyone was isolated, recording separately, so when we got together to finally play these songs live, it was a cathartic feeling. The songs just felt so right to be heard in a live capacity. When we got back together post-covid, we also went from a five piece to a four piece and had some lineup changes, so we had to change around some parts that we played and replaced other parts by committee. I think it made us a tighter live unit that way. Our drummer, Hugo Lopez, who we’ve played with for years, was not on the studio recording, but his unique drumming style brought a whole new dimension and enhanced our live performances tremendously. This can certainly be heard on this live session.
Can you talk about any standout tracks on the album and what makes them special to you?
BDEE: If I got to be real to my punk DIY ethic I got to say “Shattered Glass” is the standout track. It was immense and the song speaks on many life topics, such as trying to cope with the future all knowing that in retrospect during the pandemic it felt like everything was all falling apart and breaking like shattered glass, so the song is very surreal in my honest opinion and being the song is influenced by Deafheaven, Minor Threat, and The Dead Kennedys.
Will: When we were preparing for the live session, there were specific nuances that were captured in a live setting that were not in the original recordings, which stand out to me. When we played “Lost In My Senses” we added extended instrumental jam at the end of the song, and it occurred very organically. An older track that we played, “WARPSPEED” also had a longer intro and was one of the tightest performances on the session, and we only did it in one take! It was great bringing back older tunes like “Diamond Stealers” and “Romancer” as well.
What has been one of the most significant moments of your musical journey so far?
BDEE: I am turning 38 in September and the fact that I can still play my music on a stage and have people appreciate it means a lot to me. It’s something I appreciate because I'm not a professional musician but I got my chops and it makes me happy to show them to the world. Whether it's on a stage or a in a live session like this on YouTube, it all helps in the end. I’m proud to be a DIY Indie artist and don’t worry about any pressure. Who knows what the future will bring, maybe *hint hint* another EP soon?
Will: To be able to run the ‘Dinos in Vietnam Sessions’ with many artists has been such a rewarding experience. My partner, Jay Carrie, and I began these sessions together in 2020 during the pandemic as an alternative to live shows. To me to switch around from being behind the camara, to participating in a session as my own band was something I was looking forward to doing for quite some time. I’m proud to say that this session was my favorite one to do so far, and I’m excited that its out there for people to see and hear it. You can check out the sessions on our YouTube page.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
Will: Live performance is something we take very seriously, because its such a privilege to play out and lately it seems rarer and rarer for us. Our last show before the pandemic was December of 2019, and we didn’t get back into it until the middle of 2023. We were still active and recorded an EP in the middle of all of that, but since then, its something we no longer take for granted. Thanks for checking out our band!
BDEE: I think live music is a beautiful thing. If I was up there not being genuine about it, you would know in an instant. So when I get on that stage, I riot and give it my all like the punk rocker that I am. Theres so many DIY bands that brought so much to live music, and that a raw honesty that was known in punk and post punk! I consider this band post punk, dreampop, goth, and shoegaze. We want to build more epic moments in 2025 and beyond until we don't exist ROFL. But we always do our best to give a hell of show. Thanks to all the listeners of BDEE + the venomous oranges!
