Back in February, we wrote of bedbug‘s return with pack your bags the sun is growing, a new album which built upon foundations set on 2022’s self-titled EP by the project’s new full-band line-up. “This change of direction [pushes] the project closer to Cap’n Jazz than the hushed aesthetic from which they originated,” we described. “A style which only furthers [lead Dylan] Citron’s ability to weave the personal and the political into a seamless whole.” Single ‘postcard’ highlighted how the intimacy and intention of Citron’s writing not only persists but thrives within this new sonic environment, as though only now are they coming to possess the necessary tools to realise their ambitions. “While any project inevitably passes through various life stages as time goes on,” as we continued, “you get the sense Citron and co. are rising towards their fullest potential. The first bedbug to ever sprout wings.”
We took the opportunity to speak with Citron about the album, touching on the pros and cons of studio recording, the changing face of bedroom pop, the subtlety of the best political songs and the balance between escapism and engagement.
Hello thanks for speaking with us! Congratulations on the release of pack your bags the sun is growing. How does it feel to have a new record out in the world?
Now that we’re a little over a month out from the release, it feels pretty awesome. For the first time in a while, I don’t have anything musical lined up. No shows, recordings to mix. I have some songs I’ve been working on at a snail’s pace, but that’s my norm. I feel… lighter.
You previously described your last few releases (starting with if got smaller grew wings and flew away for good and ending with life like moving pictures) as a book, with common themes and direction. What differences does this new period of bedbug bring? How have you changed as a songwriter since then?
I think in a way, I always fall back on some of my old habits. Beyond that, before I even start writing a song, I think about where it will be in the context of a record. If I write a softer sounding guitar part, could it be attached to a louder guitar part I’ve already written in order to add some dynamism? Should it be standalone? It’s probably a silly way to write music, but I’ve always had a lot more fun putting those puzzle pieces together than writing a catchy single. So it’s a little inescapable. As for how that’s changed, I think it’s become more of a science. I’m more comfortable with the process, which has let me create songs that feel more complex. Pushing that even further is probably what I’m most excited about going forward.
When writing about your previous record, we talked about how even at its most personal, your music implicitly carries an empathy and political weight. As we put it: “It recognises that anything truly personal written in the age of late capitalism kinda has to be.” Do you set out with the intention of exploring these wider themes, or does it occur naturally within the process of writing more personally?
I think if anything I try to tone down how explicitly I explore political themes. Sometimes they just don’t fit the vision of the song. That’s not to say I avoid political themes, but I think there’s a level of artistry that is difficult to balance when incorporating politics into a song. Union songs have their place. Everyone knows modern trap/hip-hop is extremely political. But when I do it, it feels hamfisted. I think a lot about the Advance Base song ‘Trisha Please Come Home’ when I think about incorporating politics into songwriting. The overall song is about someone watching a friend who moves town without warning. In the song, the narrator hypothesizes the frustrations their friend was having that could’ve led to the move. They talk about friends making stupid jokes, the landlord raising the rent, and quitting her job because too many customers at the restaurant were hitting on her. These are political lyrics! But they’re also very human, they fit the genre and add to the songwriting rather than feeling like a jarring tangent. And sometimes a jarring tangent can be more powerful! It’s all about intent. When I write, I try to keep all of this in mind.
There’s an apocalyptic backdrop to the new record. The sense of some drastic thing unfolding just outside the frame of the songs which occasionally reveals itself as a striking image (there are tsunamis, tornados, roaming spirits, the world is ending in the opening track). But it’s not exactly a speculative concept album either, because often such phenomena feel secondary to the immediate emotional thread of the track. Could you talk a little about this side of the album?
I’m glad you picked up on that! There’s a few answers to this question. The first is that I really wanted to create self contained stories that felt fantastical. That type of escapism gave me more room to write different types of stories! The second is political. Our world is pretty unpredictable and chaotic. For many, like those in Palestine, there is never any security from that chaos. Or how the blockade in Cuba prevents many goods beyond the bare necessities from entering the country. Or at the schools I’ve worked at, how unstable and challenging life is for so many families. I think there’s a very human beauty that in such a chaotic world, things like heartbreak, sentimentality, hope and loneliness are not only universal, but often more powerful than whatever apocalyptic scenario is being thrown at us. So I tried to explore all of that, in a sense.
bedbug is a full-band project now, which is a pretty big change from your early days. What’s the biggest difference in working this way? Has this transformation from a solo project of synths, loop pedals etc to a bona fide indie rock band altered your songwriting process at all?
Honestly, not much has changed except I’ve given up some control over the individual puzzle pieces of songs. For example, it was really cool to see how songs like ‘leave your things…’ and ‘the great bonfire’ changed with the introduction of drums. “Leave your things…” in particular is a song that could’ve only been written for a full band. The biggest change is that when I write the foundation of a song (on guitar), I try to leave more space for drums or a second guitar. Not the most interesting answer, but it’s been true enough!
The new album is also your first recorded in a studio–how did you find this process and what difference did it make to the final result?
I feel two ways about it. First, it was incredible working with Nick Dussault at Big Nice in Rhode Island. A really incredible studio, comfortable and Nick is super talented. The recording days themselves went very smoothly. That being said, I’m not used to having that kind of timeline. When I record, I take probably a full dozen guitar and vocal takes on each song. After that, I start mixing, wait a few days to see how I feel about the track, and then re-record parts as needed. Then repeat for each song until I feel like they’re done. It’s a bit obsessive, and impossible to recreate in a studio because of basic time limitations. So I’m not sure about my plans for the next record (nor do I really have any finished songs yet) but I think a combination of home and studio recording might be best.
Finally (and kinda related to the previous couple of Qs), I have to ask about genre and the term “bedroom pop”. You were very much a pioneer of the genre and played a big part in its popularity. Do you feel you have left that tag behind? Or is what you’re doing now the next step in its evolution?
It’s hard to say. I do still love bedroom pop. But I think I mostly like music that feels authentic to me. When you listen to some of the early indie rock pioneers from the 90’s, they sound so lackadaisical and effortless, it lets the heart shine through. Bedroom pop was the same way! I think it’s a bit of a rebellious response to the clean, heavily processed production styles of music that sound expensive when they hit your eardrum. I think that bands who embrace their scrappiness have a longer shelf life. So in a sense, I’ll never leave that behind, since I have no intentions of changing my process and replacing little musical blemishes with perfection. On the other hand, after three albums of acoustic music recorded to cassette, I needed to let myself grow to keep things interesting for me. Realistically, my evolution will probably be to incorporate elements of bedroom pop as I introduce new elements as well. Or maybe I’ll just pick up a new hobby, like painting.
pack your bags the sun is growing is out now and available from the bedbug Bandcamp page.
Photos by Dustin J. Watson