Scranton photographer ‘bedfordtowers’ builds his creativity in new directions and cities
For large parts of his life, Matt Montella has been hidden behind a camera, an instrument, and a mysterious moniker well-known in the music scene.
This Friday, he will step behind a DJ table for the first time.
If his name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, “Bedford Towers” likely does, as it is often seen in the photo credits of many musicians throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and beyond.
“It is based on the name of a retirement home [in Clarks Summit] my high school friends would walk by all the time when we were hanging out after high school. It is also the name of a song that my old band wrote, and it was one of my favorites to play,” he said of his nom de plume.
“I think I’ve always been into photography. To be honest, I always loved taking fun pictures with my phone and editing them on Instagram, so my fascination with it was purely a hobby until around 2016/2017. What really made me take it seriously was getting replaced in a band I had played in for about five or six years. I think my frustration from many failed/unsuccessful bands made me want to pursue something on my own rather than continuing to rely to heavily on other people.”
His definitive style is often recognized by his decision to shoot exclusively on 35mm and 120 medium format film.
“I never owned a digital camera because, by the time I started to get into photography, I didn’t have a computer or laptop. So my reasoning at the time was, well, I can’t really edit photos that well without a laptop, so I’ll just shoot film since I don’t have to edit that,” he explained.
“Obviously, that was a mid-20s version of myself and my reasons for sticking with film and not shooting digital have changed since then.”
While his subjects include fashion and street photography, the Scranton native often finds himself coming back to music, capturing flash-soaked live shots and portraits with a distinct vintage grain.
“I was musician first before I did photography seriously, and my love of music and making music has never died, so it’s very fun for me to be about to see live music all the time and listen to it and photograph the bands having fun on stage and backstage,” he emphasized.
“Wicca Phase Springs Eternal is absolutely my all-time favorite artist to work with, and I’m so grateful I continue to get the opportunity to work with him. Aside from him, definitely the other members of GothBoiClique that I have had the pleasure of working with – Døves and Horsehead – Tigers Jaw, Ethel Cain, Goody Grace, Slug Christ, Hot Mulligan, Fantasy Camp, Balance and Composure, and Jon Simmons.
“I’ve also had the privilege to work with the New York City-based artist Justend who is blowing up right now.”
Montella moved to the city last June and easily found himself a place in the massive melting pot.
“I love the fact that you can be alone in one of the most populated cities in the country. There’s something comforting about being alone in a sea of strangers to me. You also are exposed to so many different situations, people, and cultures all at once. Then you find there are subcultures within those circles and sub-subcultures within those even, which is very fun for me,” he noted.
“I like everything about it honestly. I’m having a good time. Also, not to state the obvious, even if you are not an artist but trying to do anything, it’s a great place to grow and network and learn about yourself, I think.”
At 31, he continues to grow as an artist by trying his hand at DJing at Noir Dark Spirits inside The Ritz Theater (222 Wyoming Ave., Scranton) on Friday, March 29 from 10 p.m.-midnight while he visits his hometown this weekend to hike and spend time with family.
“To be honest, I have never DJ’ed before, so this will be a first for me. Luckily, the other artist I am playing with, BlonDIE, has experience in DJing,” he admitted.
“I’m good friends with the owner [of Noir and The Ritz] Josh [Balz], and one day I woke up and texted him on a whim about the idea and he was all about it. He’s the GOAT.”
He said listeners can expect “music you’ve never heard before, but music that will make you want to dance and drink all night.”
“Also great cocktails from Noir, of course.”
When asked for a photo of himself, Montella sent a black-and-white self-portrait that obscures his face, showing that, while he is broadening his horizons a lot more these days, he still likes to maintain that air of mystery that comes with “bedfordtowers,” a handle attached to more projects coming this year.
“I have a zine coming out in mid-April titled ‘Late 2023 Demos.’ I’ll be heading out on tour in the spring with Guccihighwaters, so if I’m in a city that anyone will be reading this might be in at the time, stop by and say hey,” he left off.
“Finally, I won’t preach about getting out of Scranton and moving to NYC. I absolutely love Scranton, and it has some of the most talent people I’ve met. However, if you are a creative and you want to progress your career, I strongly recommend not even moving out of the area, but consider working outside of the comfort zone of the Scranton/Philly area. Spend a week in LA networking, play some coffee shops in Vermont for a weekend, book a mini tour across state you’ve never been to. Just try it. It’s not a waste of time if you’re doing something that you love.”
