In the early 2000s, Jayson Belt fronted The Red West, an alt-rock band that signed to Atlantic Records and somehow ended up on the Warped Tour, despite their vibe being much more Wilco than Warped. Following The Red West’s breakup, Jayson released a solo album and wrote and recorded dozens of tracks for music libraries, but couldn’t shake the desire to play in a band again.

One fall evening he reached out to a few friends with various musical backgrounds: Adam Ferry was the founding drummer of Plankeye and played in the OC Supertones, Fielding, and Two Guns; Eric Churchill had played bass in punk/hardcore legends the Blamed; and Eric Exley had played guitar and drums in multiple bands in the Chicago area, including Colored by Numbers and Towers. 

Jayson invited them to have a beer and discuss the idea. He laid out his plan: “I want to start a pop band.” Everyone enthusiastically agreed to give it a go.

By the end of the first writing session, however, it became clear they were heading in a different direction. The first idea they hammered into a song had verses in 7/8 time and a chorus that blew the roof off (“Honey, You Should Know”). Not quite “pop”, though Jayson’s voice and melodies always kept things from getting out of control.

Christening the band Bedeker, they set to work. Their debut self-titled album is the sound of dedicated collaboration. Some songs, like “Anchor,” “Maybe,” and “Over,” sound much the same on the album as when first written. Others, like “Taking Time” and “City Limits,” went through multiple versions before cohering. And still others, perhaps most notably “All of Our Fathers,” arrived practically fully formed in a moment of inspiration.

The debut album’s 10 songs cover a wide gamut, addressing complex topics such as fatherhood, relational struggles, and mortality; as well as simpler ideas like “Let’s write a driving song” and “Could we pull off a long bridge like ‘Impossible Germany’?” A frequent in-joke is how the members handle being “adults in a band”; perhaps there’s no better descriptor for the band itself.

Bedeker’s self-titled album releases January 10, 2025.