Experience Bedroom Ceilings’ Detailed Lyricism With Their Song “Journal Entry: A Dream”
Michigan, alternative duo Bedroom Ceilings, allows us to take a more in-depth look at their recent track "Journal Entry: A Dream" off their latest album "Another Bulb Burned Out." Initially beginning as Dean Chittenden's solo project, he later reached out to close friend Ben Steer to add instrumentation, which started to Bedroom Ceilings' escalating growth.
Taking a listen to their track "Journal Entry: A Dream," we can hear the emotional depth that the duo runs in order to truly enamor listeners and allow them to feel. While taking a break from their alternative/electronic and jazzy sound, Bedroom Ceilings pays tribute to Americana, folk, and alt-rock with this track and their overall album.
Opening with rhythmic acoustic guitar and Dean Chittenden's clear vocals, "Journal Entry: A Dream" already has a very alt-rock atmosphere through progressive instrumentals and daydreamy vocals. Dropping down into the hook, we're met with broad instrumentals through lively drums, subtle electric guitar, and gripping changes in tempo.
"Journal Entry: A Dream" has a very poetic feel to it despite the song's energy, we're able to hear Bedroom Ceilings' detailed imagery through highlighted lyrics like "Floating in the sky under light of the beauty, I feel the blood moon push and pull the tides, my heart mimics the motion." The changes in tempo create an extensive range of emotions to feel, also through the shift between major and minor. Bedroom Ceilings' song "Journal Entry: A Dream" pulls the tide in our hearts while setting an emotionally indescribable tone.
Discover “Journal Entry: A Dream” here.
Hey Bedroom Ceilings, welcome to BuzzMusic! We’re truly captivated by your poetic approach to songwriting within your song “Journal Entry: A Dream”. Was the song inspired by an actual dream or more of an inner monologue piece?
Dean: It was partially inspired by a dream I had a year ago, but it’s mostly an inner monologue about my self-reflection of the past two years of my life. As I was writing it, I realized I was writing it in a dream-like format, because it covered a lot of time but all the events seemed to happen very quickly. All the actions and movements of the song reflect my personal journey of coming to terms with change within myself. A lot of the imagery is describing real events during the time of writing, but it's inspired by the dream. I wanted the listener to be able to visualize my journey through self-reflection, and the dream represents that.
Speaking on the instrumentation within your track “Journal Entry: A Dream”, Bedroom Ceilings brings in more of an upbeat feel through alt-rock instrumentals. How did you go about creating the instrumentals, and how did you want them to reflect your storytelling lyricism?
Ben: I think we were both going for a dreamy sound. Dean had the lyrics already and he had a good idea of what it was going to sound like as well as the key. This is a good representation of how we work together in songwriting - he has the lyrics and concept in mind, and I try to write chords that complement his idea and vision. I have a lengthy background in alt-rock music so it’s usually pretty obvious to the listener when I take more of a hand in the chord choices.
Dean: With the way the song is mapped out with lyrics, we wrote the song with the band in such a way that it would continue to change and modulate musically in each section without repeating dynamic flow. I wanted each new sound and new dynamic to reflect the lyrics that were really important to me. For example, when I say "...floating in the sky under light of the beauty, I feel the blood moon..." the lead guitar is louder and complements the melody, which is a response to the lyrics and reflects the presence of the blood moon at that point of the song. It's hard to explain but I think people will know what I mean when they hear it. It's more of a feeling than it is a concrete concept.
Seeing as your song “Journal Entry: A Dream” is off of Bedroom Ceilings’ latest album Another Bulb Burned Out, how does the track add to the album’s overall concept? Do you think the track stands out in any way?
Dean: It absolutely stands out. I would say it is the least calming song on the album for a number of reasons. For one because it was the only song recorded live with a full band, and the energy that the live band brought to the track was much more intense. It is also the only song on the album where the protagonist is feeling bolder, and he's not being whiny. [laughs] it's the most bold because he's finally being honest with himself. no longer denying the circumstances or victimizing himself. He's fighting for change.
The track adds to the concept because at this point the protagonist, instead of reveling in nostalgia or mourning how he's lost control of his life, is for once being self-reflective and trying to move on from the experiences that have hurt him. In a way, it is the "rising action" of the narrative. In literature, the rising action serves to develop the major conflict, present character flaws, establish background circumstances, and detail the twists and turns leading to the climax. This song presents some of the greatest inner conflict of the overall story in that respect.
Speaking of your latest album Another Bulb Burned Out, Bedroom Ceilings is said to have taken a break from their alt/electronic and jazzy sound all to focus on Americana, folk, and alt-rock. Why did you decide to take this artistic turn with the album?
Dean: I've always had a passion for Americana and Folk music, and while we both love making electronic and jazzy stuff, I didn't think it would fit on the album, and those jazzy songs tend to stand out by themselves. They are their own pieces, so as opposed to fitting within a narrative I think they work better as singles. This album was written with some recurring themes, so I felt that taking this direction was a better fit for the story I was telling. When it comes to making an album, we will always be making Americana/ folk/ rock, while saving the jazzy and experimental ideas for smaller projects.
What can we expect to see from you throughout 2020?
More releases, singles, merchandise, live streams, music videos, and more songs with a mouthful of lyrics too. Thanks for having us!