Getting To Know:Bored Marsh

Hailing from Nottingham and rising fast, Bored Marsh is an alternative rock 4-piece that's quickly making waves far beyond their hometown. Named after a derelict shopping center that symbolizes the stagnation caused by government cuts, Bored Marsh channels their frustration into a sound that's anything but stagnant. Their music blends reverb-soaked melodies with dark, heavy undertones, drawing from post-punk, grunge, shoegaze, and new wave influences. With performances that leave audiences buzzing and a growing list of accolades from outlets like BBC Radio and Louder Than War, Bored Marsh is carving out a name for themselves as a band to watch. Their debut single, "The Grind," already made a splash on national TV, and their follow-up, "A Better Way (Don't Start)," promises even more with its raw, urgent sound. Get ready—Bored Marsh is just getting started.

1. Your new single "Alright, OK!" has already received multiple spins on BBC Introducing in the East Midlands. How does it feel to get such early support, and what was the inspiration behind this track? 

Obviously it's great to get on BBC Introducing, there's so many bands / artists doing stuff these days so it's so tough to get any exposure or to get support & get your music out there more widely, so it's a start for us. The track itself musically started with Jade’s bass riff & went from there. It was like creating something around a chorus pedal & I had these chords I just needed to peice it all together. It had such energy so I knew it would be a great track for us. It went through various structures but we finally got to the version that has become what it has.

2. "Alright, OK!" features a distinctive darkwave-tinged post-punk/grunge sound with layers of reverberating guitars and intense drum breaks. Can you describe the creative process behind the song and how you achieved this unique sound? 

I think it's fair to say that we are all obsessed with reverb! Those shoegaze bands have always inspired my guitar playing & I guess that will always have an influence on the sound. I had the idea that I did a demo of & then we all pieced it together & made it sound like Bored Marsh. Joe’s vocals are so important to the sound so once they develop, the songs start to take shape. We're all influenced by such a vast amount of stuff I guess it all plays into what we are.

3. The forthcoming EP "IDIOT" is set to be released in September. Can you share some insights into the themes and concepts explored in the EP, and how "Alright, OK!" fits into the overall narrative of the project? 

Musically, the songs were all written quite separately but when we did Alright, OK! & IDIOT, we knew we had 2 really great tunes that we are all really proud of. The IDIOT thing really resonated with me because we're just fed up of how things are going in the UK & the total lack of creative opportunities for people in amongst all the other shit going off. There's almost an acceptance of it, which is a shame. I don't think the songs are hugely about that, we just wanted to make music that we all liked but once Joe had the words/title for IDIOT it took on its own meaning. 

4. You've been recognized as one of the brightest hopes coming out of Nottingham, and your debut single was even featured on Made in Chelsea. How do you think your local scene has influenced your music, and what do you hope to achieve with your upcoming releases?

We seem to have a decent little following in Nottingham which is really great. It looks like our EP launch will sell out, which is amazing really. For me personally, the scene doesn't hugely influence the way I see Bored Marsh, but there are a few bands from the city we are proud to support & follow. It's only when you go to other places that you know how good we have it in Nottingham. I think it can be easily taken for granted. It would be ace if we could stretch out reach beyond Nottingham, but it's so hard & requires an awful lot of time & energy. We'd like to take what we're doing as far as we possibly can. 

5. With your EP launch scheduled for September 27th at Rough Trade Nottingham and recent performances at festivals like FOCUS Wales and Dot to Dot, how do you plan to build on the momentum and continue growing your fanbase?

That bit we're not sure of yet. I imagine we'll record more new material & keep that side of things going & hopefully we'll get a few more festival slots next year. We'd love to play one of the bigger stages at next year’s Beat The Streets, so we're hoping that what we have done now gives us that opportunity. It's about doing the right things organically for us & going from there. 

Bored Marsh are delighted to announce their debut IDIOT EP will be independently released on September 27th. The first single from the EP,  Alright, OK! has received national press and radio play and been heavily supported by BBC Introducing.  The band are celebrating by throwing their first hometown headline show at Rough Trade on release date which is very close to selling out already.

You can stream the whole EP on Soundcloud or I have also attached mp3 files if preferred.

Bored Marsh - IDIOT EP - Soundcloud (private) link - released 27/9/24