The Ethical Debating Society

Initially conceived of as a solo project, The Ethical Debating Society was formed as a band in 2009 by Tegan Christmas with Lauren Darling and Chris Morris.[8] They received an early name-check in The Guardian from Everett True.[9] Recordings were made with producer Ant Chapman, although only two tracks were included on a later EP.[10] By 2010 Darling and Morris had left and Tegan continued with a varying line up[11] until the group settled as Tegan with Eli Tupa[12] and Kris Martin[13] in 2013.[14]

The band played a number of early gigs around the UK queercore scene, with Ste McCabe, The Younger Lovers and others;[15][16] following an appearance on Brighton queercore label Tuff Enuff Records’s 2012 compilation Why Diet When You Could Riot?[17] gigs with Shrag and (Athens, Georgia’s) Tunabunny led to a split single with London’s Skinny Girl Diet on US label Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records in 2013.[18][19][20] A cassette/download EP on Tuff Enuff - "Hens Teeth" - followed in 2014.[21]

In 2015, The Ethical Debating Society's debut album New Sense was released on Odd Box Records following audio and video previews,[22][23] and received positive reviews from SoundsXP,[24] Collapse Board,[25] Louder Than War[26] and others,[27][28][29][30][31] with radio support including BBC Radio 6,[32] Dandelion and Artrocker Radio. The album was produced by Mark Jasper at Sound Savers studio in Homerton.

The band have been likened to other dual male/female vocal DIY indie/punk bands such as Huggy Bear, Red Monkey, Comet Gain, Bis and Prolapse, as well as post-hardcore and indie rock groups such as Future of the Left, Sleater-Kinney, Nation of Ulysses, Pixies and Nirvana,[33][34][35][36][37] and various punk and anarcho-punk bands.[11]

The band were chosen by Jessicka to support Jack Off Jill at their final show, at Heaven in London,[38] and played with Shonen Knife on the London date of that band's 2016 tour.[39] They played at Indietracks 2015, and have also played with The Wolfhounds, The Nightingales, The Homosexuals, Hagar the Womb, Dream Nails, Prolapse, and Bis.

The Ethical Debating Society's album track "Razor Party" (written by former drummer Rob) was voted #32 in the 2015 John Peel memorial 'Festive 50' compiled by Dandelion Radio.[40]

In 2017, T.E.D.S. were included in Clash magazine's list of "favourite new groups"[41] alongside Shopping and others. The band released a number of new tracks, including a contribution to Loud Women Records' Loud Women - Volume One album[42] and a track on Kobayashi Nights Records' Kobayashi I: Intergalactic Champions compilation.[43][44] Digital download single "London Particular" was released in June 2017 as a benefit for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.[45]

• Tegan Christmas (vocals, guitar)
• Eli Tupa (drums)
• Kris Martin (guitar, vocals)

• Stereosanctity album review
• 2015 interview
• 2015 interview
• 2015 album review
• 2016 interview