Andrew Davie [right] of Bear’s Den: “I’m solely thinking about writing songs when issues really feel tough and I need to make sense of the world.” Photograph: Bennie Curnow
One half of the folk-rock duo Bear’s Den discusses the group’s new album and extra experimental strategy to writing music
Folk-rock group Bear’s Den has emerged from hibernation able to share new sounds with the world. The duo of Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones have churned out their fourth studio album, Blue Hours, and for these recordings they’re bravely venturing into new inventive territory. The album, out 13 Might, was named after a resort the band members beforehand stayed at. Though this title was taken straight from their short-term place of residence, Blue Hours got here to imply one thing completely different for the duo, “An imaginary headspace the place self-reflection takes place.”
Out of this mindset, the 2 crafted an album of digital sounds with touchingly private motifs. Songs like Shadows, Spiders, and Gratitude categorical subjects associated to psychological well being and hint how the band addressed their very own mindsets all through 2020. Spiders, for instance, is a catchy observe stemming from Davie’s reflections on his transfer to London. He anticipated this relocation would help in navigating the stressors of life, however it solely supplied a brand new area for them to reside in. Following the belief you could’t run out of your issues, the band’s music is extra daring and experimental than ever, and is being launched to audiences with no traces of timidity.
In our current chat, Davie mentioned his and Jones’ course of, what it’s like collaborating with producer Ian Grimble, and the band’s pleasure about upcoming stay reveals within the U.Ok., Europe and North America via October of this yr.
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How did it really feel to experiment and take dangers along with your music course of for this album?
“It felt extremely liberating! We’re all the time making an attempt to discover alternative ways of making music, and after all the pieces over the previous few years, I believe we as a band felt empowered to take dangers and never settle into any outdated method from earlier songs or information. In virtually each manner, we had been exploring new musical and sonic textures: rubber-bridge guitars, Wurlitzers, Prophet-6 arpeggiator, TR-Eight drum machine, glitchy OP-1 sounds. For us, it’s all the time been about making a temper and making an attempt to make music that’s shifting utilizing no matter devices really feel thrilling to us in that second.”
Bear’s Den’s Andrew Davie [left]: “I believe each Kev and my musical concepts inside Bear’s Den are tremendous complimentary, however we each love having that added ingredient of unpredictability and curiosity.” Photograph: Bennie Curnow
How did the distinctive circumstances of 2020 affect the sound and lyrics of the album?
“I believe to some extent, lyrically at the very least, our songs have all the time been introspective. Writing songs for Blue Hours started a good bit earlier than the pandemic hit. Blue Hours was the identify of a resort each Kev and I’ve stayed at in Morocco, and I appreciated the concept of Blue Hours being this imaginary resort I used to be checking into each evening to write down songs.
“Weirdly, through the pandemic, everybody appeared to seek out themselves in their very own solitary little world. I believe the songs maybe really feel extra lyrically remoted and eager for connection due to that. To distinction that isolation, as a band we needed to boldly current the songs and never be shy in how we current them, hopefully discovering some catharsis in what everybody has endured.”
How did the belief that leaving London didn’t resolve sure points you had been going via come out within the music Spiders?
“That there’s bravery in saying if you’re not okay. In my thoughts, whereas engaged on the music, I all the time apprehensive it might really feel too heavy or too unhappy. However the thought of belting this music at reveals and different individuals singing alongside to the refrain lyrics, to me, will assist take all of the loneliness out of these phrases and hopefully be a cathartic expertise.”
What was the inspiration behind the digital sounds and instrumentation used on the observe Blue Hours?
“Pre-pandemic there have been no synths in Ian’s management room, and after we went in to report there have been, like, 20 completely set as much as Professional Instruments and speaking to one another. It was superior! Ian christened the setup “The Wall,” and to be trustworthy, I believe “The Wall ” was an enormous a part of the album’s sound. I believe each Kev and my musical concepts inside Bear’s Den are tremendous complimentary, however we each love having that added ingredient of unpredictability and curiosity. I believe we each bounce off it very well and discover these textures tremendous inspiring.”
Andrew Davie of Bear’s Den [right]: “It appears like psychological well being is changing into more and more essential in my very own life.” Photograph: Bennie Curnow
How does collaborating with Ian Grimble carry out the perfect of your musicianship?
“I really feel extraordinarily lucky to work with Ian Grimble, and I additionally really feel very fortunate to work with Kev, who’s a rare musician. Between us, I believe there’s by no means a scarcity of concepts, however usually Ian’s position actually is to encourage us and pull every of us again if we stray a bit too removed from what we’ve all kinda agreed we’re making an attempt to do musically on the report. He’s a very good guardian of our communal imaginative and prescient for the report, and I believe that position offers us each freedom creatively and bounds too.”
Why was it essential for you each to handle psychological well being within the album?
“I can’t communicate past my very own expertise, however it appears like psychological well being is changing into more and more essential in my very own life. I’ve struggled at completely different instances over the previous few years and have shut family and friends who’ve suffered too. I’m solely thinking about writing songs when issues really feel tough and I need to make sense of the world – naturally, that’s led me to speak about my very own psychological well being and my relationships which have been affected by it. It feels past essential to me to attempt to speak about it.”
Now that the album is out, what are you most trying ahead to for the remainder of 2022?
“TOURING!! We’re so lucky to have the perfect followers anybody may presumably dream of, and we simply can’t wait to get again on the street in April and Might to see all of them in Europe and the U.Ok., and in addition in September in North America. We’re a stay band firstly, and to be trustworthy it’s felt like we’ve been lacking a band member by not with the ability to play these songs to audiences but. All of our outdated songs have grown a lot from performing them evening after evening and singing them with audiences over time. Seeing how these songs evolve and develop along with an viewers is one thing neither of us can wait to be part of.
Look out for the discharge of Blue Hours on 13 Might. To study extra about Bear’s Den and take a look at the group’s upcoming tour dates, go to bearsdenmusic.co.uk
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