Bedford Drive

Infobox musical artist
Name = Bedford Drive


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Origin = Southgate, MI, USA
Genre = Alternative rock
Years_active = 1998 – present
Label = currently unsigned first album released by Vertical Verve Records
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Current_members = Scott Anger Edward Sertage Michelle Bojanowski Ryan Looney

Bedford Drive is an alternative rock band from Southgate, Michigan, which is located "down river" from Detroit, Michigan. The band describes its sound as "post-hardcore power pop." The line up includes: Scott Anger (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ed Sertage (lead guitar, vocals), Michelle Bojanowski (bass, vocals) and Ryan Looney (drums, percussion). It has been active since 1998.

History

Bedford Drive began by playing shows in and around Detroit and by the spring of 2002, they had built a solid fanbase. It was then that they released their debut album "The Last Time I Saw the Stars" on the now defunct Vertical Verve Records. The album received positive reviews and soon after, they were being asked to fill opening slots for nationally touring acts in many of Detroit's premier venues. Around this time, drummer Jay Croft left the band to pursue other interests and was replaced by current drummer Ryan Looney.

In 2004 they released a self-titled follow up EP to much fanfare. They embarked on a series of brief tours, playing with acts such as Plain White T's, Sherwood and many more, and continued playing to packed houses in the Detroit area. A breakthrough in their career happened when they entered a contest held by Windsor/Detroit's CIMX FM. Bedford Drive was selected amongst hundreds of other hopefuls for a slot on the annual "89X Birthday Bash" show. They were put on a bill alongside AFI (band), the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and many other big name acts. This afforded them the opportunity to play for thousands of new fans, and it was here that they caught the ear of the station's prgrammer, Vince Cannova. Soon after, he began playing their song "Four Years Later" on his afternoon show.

Another breakthrough happened in early 2006 when Bedford drive was named in Alternative Press (music magazine) as one of "America's Top 10 Unsigned Bands of 2006". This article captured the attention of recording engineer Mike Poorman (Tsunami Bomb, Piebald (band)) who expressed interest in working with the band on a future project. They accepted his offer and in August of that year, they headed to Strange Ways Studios in Burlington, Vermont where Poorman assumed recording, mixing and co-producing roles on 7 new tracks. Due to time constraints, the band left Vermont with having only completed 5 songs, abandoning the other 2 partially recorded songs for a future session. The completed songs became an EP called "The In-between" which was released in March of 2007. An abbreviated "radio edit" of the EPs closing track, "Juliane", as well track two, "Seven to 7", have been receiving airplay on CIMX FM.

In the Summer of 2007, after almost a decade of continuous work, the band decided to go on hiatus for all of June and July. A phone call from Live Nation Entertainment encouraged Bedford Drive to end their hiatus a bit ahead of schedule (July 27), when they were asked to join the 13th Annual Vans Warped Tour (Detroit) bill. After Warped Tour, Bedford Drive started rehearsing regularly once again. A music video was planned for "Seven to 7" but [as of spring 2008] has yet to materialize. The band has been in a dormant stage with no official word on their future plans.

Trivia

*Ed Sertage and Ryan Looney play bass and drums respectively in a side project called "The Cast, The Camera" and are also the rhythm section for "Tim Pak & The Budget Sinners".
*Tony Thaxton of Motion City Soundtrack provided hand claps on the track "Birthday in a Bearsuit" from the self-titled EP.
*In 2007, Ed Sertage purchased Woodshed Studios where the band had recorded previously.
*Michelle Bojanowski sings the female vocal part on Limbeck's "Ohio" when the band is in town playing on the same bill as Bedford Drive..
*Ed Sertage and Ryan Looney are huge fans of the HBO television series' "Entourage" and " Curb Your Enthusiasm"
*Scott Anger and Ed Sertage were in a band called Sonic Reducer during their high school years.
*All band members are graduates of Southgate Anderson High School ,Southgate, Michigan: Scott Anger class of '95; Ed Sertage class of '97; Michelle Bojanowski & Ryan Looney class of '98.
*Ryan Looney has a long time-running rap project called "Fight School"
*The bear on the cover of the self-titled E.P. is named Randy.
*The band's name derived from the name of the street their previous drummer lived on as a child.

Discography

Albums

* "The Last Time I Saw the Stars (2002)

EPs

* "The In-Between (2007)
* "Bedford Drive EP (2004)
* "Live In Detroit EP (2000)
* "Vacuum Cleaner Tape (1998)

plits

* "Bedford Drive/Strapped To A Rocket Split (2001)

Videography

* "Birthday In A Bearsuit (2005)

Former Members

*Jay Croft 1998 – 2003

References

# cite web | title=Bedford Drive's Official Website | work=Bedford Drive 2005 -- Rock Of Reckoning| url=http://www.bedforddrive.com/bedford.htm | accessdate=April 2 | accessyear=2006