B.D.R. formed from Central California’s hardcore scene, uniting Ill Communication vocalist Andy Franchere, his guitarist son Brody, and members of Step by Step. The band’s stripped-down sound clearly draws influence from Carry On, Right Brigade, Count Me Out, and Blacklisted.
Reaper Syndrome, the new EP from B.D.R., builds on the foundation set by last year's Dead Soul Disorder EP, pairing heavy riffs with lyrics shaped by Franchere’s personal experiences. Both releases are now available together on a limited CD as the band looks ahead to a full-length in 2027. I spoke with Franchere about the new material, his longtime work as a firefighter in Kern County, and how he channeled his personal struggles into the material.
You originally described B.D.R. as something you and Brody wanted to do together, with him writing the music and you approaching the lyrics from a darker place. Now that the band has developed beyond that initial demo, has the creative relationship between the two of you changed at all?
The formula is still basically the same. We added Jerry, Tyler, and Jaren to the fold, but Brody does the bulk of the writing. Everyone contributes before a song is finalized musically. Except me—I have no musical talent. I still write the lyrics, and they are heavily influenced by my mental health struggles.
The new EP is called Reaper Syndrome, following Dead Soul Disorder. There’s obviously a pretty bleak thread running through those titles. Is there a connection between the two releases lyrically, and what has been weighing on you while writing the newer material?
I hope people don’t feel bleak after listening to the record. But you are right, the titles are dark, and most of the writing comes from a dark place for me.
Being a firefighter for 30 years has taken a toll on me. These songs are a kind of therapy for me. It’s how I get things off my chest. My hope is that people who are going through similar things will know they ain’t alone.
When we first spoke, B.D.R. wasn’t even necessarily going to become a functioning live band—you had written the demo, and then everyone got excited enough to start booking shows. At what point did you realize this had become something you wanted to pursue seriously?
I always hoped B.D.R. could be a functioning band. It’s my favorite style of hardcore. Once we played one show, we all realized how fun it is to do the band and hang out, so it was an easy decision to push ahead and see where it takes us.
The new CD combines Reaper Syndrome and Dead Soul Disorder as a lead-in to a full-length next year. Do you see these EPs as building toward the LP musically, or do you want the album to open things up to different styles and lyrical directions?
We are building toward an LP. There won’t be too much deviation on the musical side, but we don’t wanna do a record with 12 versions of the same song. We might lean into a few influences to keep things interesting. I’ve gotten some cool feedback and had good conversations with people regarding the lyrics, so I’m sure there will be more venting. But I also want the whole record to feel more YOLO and better represent all the dudes in the band.
In that last conversation, you described the band as “roots hardcore with a modern touch,” citing Carry On, Right Brigade, Count Me Out, and others. Has playing shows and writing more material changed your idea of what B.D.R. can sound like, or is staying within that relatively stripped-down hardcore framework part of the point?
After recently seeing Carry On, Internal Affairs, and Piece By Piece, I'm more confident in that style of hardcore. It will be the backbone of B.D.R. until the end. Plus, I can’t really sing or dance, so we couldn’t change the style even if we wanted to.
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Reaper Syndome is available now on CD via Indecision Records.
B.D.R. on social media: Instagram
Tagged: b.d.r., ill communication, step by step
