Oxford band ‘bedd’ explore fear, love and friendship in their moody debut “Do Not Be Afraid”
In Oxford’s ever-changing love for music, a new six-piece band 'bedd' has made an introspective debut album “Do Not Be Afraid”
In the heart of Oxford’s ever-changing indie scene, a new six-piece band—Frontman Jamie on song and guitar, Sam Spatsmen on drums, Darren Fellowdale on base, Tom Sharp on guitar, Neil Derby on guitar, and Tim Midland on synth—is carving out space with atmospheric guitars, warm synth textures, and emotionally candid songwriting. The band being called bedd, spelt with two ds, is a detail more meaningful than it first appears. The band has released their debut album Do Not Be Afraid, a record rooted in friendship, experimentation, and the small human truths that make life both heavy and beautiful.
A band built on friendship
Frontman Jamie, who sings and plays guitar, describes bedd as “just friends who like getting together to make music.”
Some members have played together for years; others reconnected after childhood. All are based in Oxford, from East Oxford to nearby towns, meeting weekly in rehearsal rooms to drink coffee, improvise, and simply play.
“It’s one of the only times adults get to play,” Jamie says. “When we’re kids, we play freely, and music lets us do that again.”
How a song begins — and changes completely
Jamie’s writing process is loose and instinctive. Songs often begin as rough sketches on his phone—a guitar progression, a line hummed into the mic, chords filmed to remember finger patterns. But once the track enters the studio, it can transform completely.
“That’s the fun,” he says. “You start with a guitar song and end up removing the guitar entirely. One song on the album, Walkie No Talkie, started on guitar and became a fully synthesiser-driven track.”
These moments of accidental discovery, he adds, are the ones that feel like gifts.
Why ‘bedd’?
The band name has a surprising origin. At first, Jamie simply liked the word “bed.” But when the group decided to spell it with two ds, bedd, he learned it had a second meaning.
“In Welsh, bedd means ‘grave’,” he explains. “And I thought…wow. That fits. The grave is the final bed. And the mood of our songs, the introspection, the darkness and beauty—it all lined up.”
Do Not Be Afraid: A message to oneself
The band’s debut album carries a gentle but firm title: Do Not Be Afraid (Released on the 31st of October.)
“I’m not telling people what to do,” Jamie says. “It’s more of an instruction to myself—to stop being scared, to let go of fear, and live more. We all get caught up in anxiety. These songs try to turn away from fear and towards love.”
Across the album, he hopes listeners recognise their own emotions—the heaviness, the humour, the hope.
Favourite tracks, influences and the sound behind bedd
Jamie’s personal favourite is Walkie No Talkie, a track that “wrote itself” and came together with ease.
Among the band’s influences are The Cure, Dinosaur Jr., Slowdive, Ride, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and within the band, musical tastes collide: rock, shoegaze, electronic, DJ culture.
This mix creates tension in the sound—noisy, atmospheric, and layered—which is something Jamie treasures.
A Christmas single with a twist
Just weeks after the album release, bedd have already shared a new single: Count the Days, a self-described “traditional Christmas song about not believing in Christmas and feeling a bit depressed.”
Jamie jokes: “Obviously it’s going to be Christmas Number One.”
What Jamie wants people to take away
When asked what he wants to tell listeners, Jamie pauses, then says simply:
“Try to have fun. Love people. Let the people you love know that they’re loved. Ignore the hate as much as you can. Life is difficult, but it’s also beautiful. If music can help us enjoy it together, that’s everything.”