\u201cI want people to find the hope and motivation to be the best version of themselves, and be OK with who they are and their imperfections and their flaws,\u201d<\/i> considers Sundressed<\/b>\u2019s Trevor Hedges when asked what he wants people to take from the Phoenix group\u2019s debut full-length, \u2018A Little Less Put Together\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n
More than most, such a goal makes perfect sense for Hedges and his bandmates. ‘A Little Less Put Together\u2019<\/i> is the story of a journey of self-discovery, of fighting demons and moving forward. Having battled with addiction \u2013 and led a life of sobriety for the past eight years \u2013 Hedges\u2019 story makes the message of positivity that flows through every note of \u2019\u2026Put Together\u2019<\/i> all the more striking and powerful.<\/p>\n
And this message of self-acceptance is pushed to the fore on the title track ‘A Little Less Put Together\u2019<\/i> and its associated video. The band – completed by Forest Waldorf (guitar) and Garrett Tretta (drums) \u2013 left flyers all over their home city of Phoenix, Arizona, asking people to write their hang-ups and anxieties \u2013 the reasons why they feel ‘A Little Less Put Together\u2019<\/i> \u2013 on a piece of paper and stick it to a board. The band also took part, using contributions shared through Facebook and Twitter. The result is one of the most insightful and powerful music videos in recent memory, which shows the power of positive thinking and sharing problems \u2013 as well as the fact that everyone has their own problems that they keep hidden from the world.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt was fun shooting it,\u201d<\/i> conceded Hedges<\/b>. \u201cAnd it was interesting what came out of it. A few of the online suggestions led to some pretty heavy conversations between friends and fans. We didn\u2019t know a lot of this stuff, and we didn\u2019t know some of these people \u2013 so that was a pretty intense. But it was a cool \u2013 experience.<\/i><\/p>\n
It\u2019s this honest approach \u2013 both in the song-writing and in their approach to their fanbase \u2013 that makes Sundressed<\/b> so relatable. For Hedges<\/b>, this honesty and positivity is what he strives for in his writing: \u201cIt\u2019s therapeutic to cover the stuff that matters,\u201d<\/i> he says. \u201cI like thinking about and offering some sort of solution to getting out of those situations.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cBut yeah, one of my aims is to have some sort of positive resolution. If it\u2019s something I have been through and I want to write a song about it, I don\u2019t want to go back to that moment in time. It\u2019s good for me to feel those things, but it\u2019s important for me to recognise that it\u2019s over, I\u2019ve gained things from it and I\u2019m OK now.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Sundressed<\/b> have spent the last three years moving forward, honing their style and sound on two EPs \u2013 \u2018Dig Up A Miracle\u2019<\/i> and \u2018The Same Condition\u2019<\/i> \u2013 and a split single with math-rock\/emo group Secret Stuff. The evolution to this point has been \u201corganic\u201d<\/i>, confirms Hedges, but having a full-length in which to push their sound has allowed the group to build the edges of their sound, pushing beyond breezy pop hooks and killer choruses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew after doing the 2 EPs that I wanted to do an LP,\u201d<\/i> says Hedges. \u201cWe did the 2 EPs in the same year, and that really helped me figure out how I wanted an LP to come across. It feels like a long journey to get to where it is now \u2013 I mean, we spent almost a year recording ‘A Little Less Put Together\u2019<\/i> \u2013 so it feels good to have it out there.<\/i><\/p>\n
“Also, I think with the EPs \u2013 and especially the first one \u2013 we just wanted to write hooks and go for the catchiest songs that we could. On an EP, you\u2019ve only really got a couple of songs to get your band across.<\/i><\/p>\n
“On the second EP, we experimented with the guitars and the time signatures a little bit, so the backdrop changed a little bit. Then, when you suddenly have 10-12 songs to work with, you\u2019re able to plan it out a little bit more. There are a couple of songs on there that wouldn\u2019t have made an EP, too. So, we had one song that\u2019s pretty old that we brought back to life for the album, which was ‘Feelings Mart\u2019. In fact that\u2019s one of the oldest Sundressed<\/b> songs.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
This organic growth has also led the band down some very strange paths too \u2013 not least with Hedges finding himself on stage mid-set no less \u2013 with Dashboard Confessional, after Chris Carrabba beckoned him up to play a song.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that was pretty funny,\u201d<\/i> laughs Hedges. \u201cA friend of a friend works for them and they were looking for a unique way to promote the Phoenix show. So they said \u2018well, Sundressed<\/b> are the emo band in Phoenix right now, if you post about the show, we\u2019ll get you in.\u2019 So that was all their people. But \u2013 and I have no idea how it happened \u2013 Chris saw the name of the band and actually listened to us and he got my phone number and texted me.<\/i><\/p>\n