Continuing our run of letting you know a little more about as many of the bands on at Bloodstock 2025 as we possibly can before you get a chance to see them, we have tealdeer. This bunch play on the New Blood Stage on the Friday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
Burton On Trent, historic brewing capital of the world!
How long have you been playing together as a band?
As tealdeer, it’s been about two years now. We have played together in separate projects since our teens, but we’re doing it properly now.
Where does the name of the band come from?
Long nights of arguing over a band name! The messenger chat eventually got so long with ideas that Tommy wrote “tealdeer”, as in “tl;dr”. The argument soon came to a consensus, and then the branding invented itself.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
OMINOUS DEER ANTHEMS. We like to describe ourselves as metal with a twist… Between brutal breakdowns and soaring choruses, you’ll find ample dashes of weird. On our fresh EP “Menace”, you can find everything from carnival-inspired carousel music to gothic chorus vocals, jumping between time signatures, tempos, even singers. We want to write something unique and fresh every time we get our heads together.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
Go and find literally any gig footage of our front man Ted. The dude is a powerhouse of spontaneous energy, keeping up with the crowd and then some. Energy is the name of our live game. You won’t catch any of us standing still or half-assing it. Combining this with a new surprise at every show, we hope to always leave the audience wondering what’s next.
Have you been to Bloodstock before? What did you think?
Us poor Burton boys, we’ve all done our fair share of smaller festivals, but never Bloodstock before! The excitement level for something this huge is off the charts!
Which M2tM region did you win, or did you come through other channels?
Nottingham. The Tap n Tumbler and The Old Cold Store hosted some truly spectacular acts. Personal favourites of the band include Hrönn, Death Warmed Up, Frame The Hero and King Abyss.
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Bloodstock?
HOLY SH*T (X5)
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What sort of setlist can we expect?
We’re dropping some of the lighter songs such as “Stranger” in favour of some of the crazier stuff. We’re going to be so fired up that leaning into it and giving Bloodstock the heaviest set we can will come naturally.
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
Ominous Deer Man is in love with Thrown, so I think he’ll be appeased as long as he gets to check out their set.
What are you working on at the moment?
After Menace released last week, it has been all systems go on socials and interviews and promotion and all that business. Work doesn’t stop once your record is out there; you gotta keep pushing forward.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Man, where do I even begin? We’ve seen a fan (shoutout Ludo) dress in full deer getup, as well as multiple fans with antlers, which we always adore. I think the craziest on-stage event has to be our Halloween show Night Of The Living Deer, when the band dressed up as the gang from Scooby Doo and Ted got lifted up on an antique chair… think metal as fuck Bah Mitzvah, then double it. I’ve never seen a singer come so close to being knocked out on a ceiling.
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
ODM is your classic beer fiend. I (Phil) operate much like a hummingbird, so it’s sugar and caffeine for me. Ted doesn’t need extra encouragement so he drinks water, whereas Tommy likes whatever goes down nice and smooth to aid his angelic voice. Rob drinks whatever is available, he ain’t picky!
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tealdeer: facebook | instagram | spotify | tiktok | youtube
