Bear’s Den are the next big thing to come out of the perennial indie folk scene, and having already garnered huge followings in their native UK and the USA. We’re next in line to be mauled and dragged into the Den*. Strictly in a soothing sonic sense.
If you were to unawarely stroll into this den, you might stumble across a Boy and Bear… and that boy may be the son of Marcus Mumford… there’s a convoluted metaphor in there somewhere suggesting that the London-based trio exhibit all the hallmarks of the popular folk forbearers.
Winning the hearts of Australians – Bear’s Den have built up on their acoustic-driven compositions and the results are mesmerising as they expose your softer side.
This is no coincidence as the bands label Communion Records, was co-founded by their very own drummer Kevin Jones with Mumford and Son’s Ben Lovett, and it is also the UK home of the likes of Boy and Bear, Daughter and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. However, their sound remains unique in its intimacy, and with a couple of releases under their belt, Bear’s Den are poised to build towards something bigger.
Forming in 2012, the three bears have since released two heartfelt EP’s, Without/Within and Agape, and word of mouth has taken them from supporting the Mumford lads and Of Monsters and Men to selling out their own headline shows. Back in July they released the song Elysium, serving as the first single from their debut album Islands, to be released in October.
The track shows a progression from the acoustic-driven compositions of the past, and whilst retaining these elements initially, the track builds in depth and euphoria with the addition of strings and ultimately a brass section powering the chorus. Nevertheless the guys still manage to preserve the mesmerising beauty and intimacy of their sound through raw, sincere songwriting and gorgeous vocal harmonies.
Even if the whole folk scene isn’t your thing, the video for Elysium is worth checking out. Based on the real lives of a few Seattle college kids, the clip was initially intended to capture their moments of youthful adventure and rebellion, until a shooting at the subjects’ school turned the whole project into a surreal and unexpected tragedy. The result is an enthralling piece of cinematography for which Elysium is the perfect soundtrack.
On the back of hard earned success, and to mark the release of Islands, Bear’s Den have lined up a bunch of shows across Europe and North America. With such hype it can only be a matter of time before the southern hemisphere is caught up in their furry embrace, so get in now.
*Den I get it…
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