You Have To Hear: Boy And Bear

I was first introduced to Boy And Bear at last year’s Homebake festival, where they won the coveted Triple J Unearthed position, which allowed them to perform alongside names such as Powderfinger, Red Riders, and Yves Klein Blue.

Since then the guys have gone from strength to strength, with a support slot for Hungry Kids Of Hungary lined up in the coming month. At Homebake they were very new to the music scene, talking about how they have only played a few gigs, only recorded a few songs, and how one member had never even been to a music festival before.

To their credit however they seemed like a very tight live act, and they entertained a packed tent of punters for nearly an hour.

Their music is certainly heavily influenced by the likes of The Middle East and Grizzly Bear, however probably their biggest influence is Fleet Foxes- the opening of The Storm could easily be mistaken for a Fleet Foxes tune. But they really do have a sound that is all their own, especially once they break out into their layered choruses with gorgeous four-part harmonies.

Boy And Bear show a genuine attention to detail in their songwriting, which is staggering when you consider just how young these guys are. Their harmonies are faultless, and that subtle guitar strumming on The Storm slays me every time.

Check out their song Mexican Mavis below, and head over to their Unearthed Page if you want to hear The Storm as well, and to download both tracks.

“As they came out of the sunshine, the flowers nestled in their hair.”

http://kiwi6.com/uploads/hotlink?id=9wo1jr8y6u

Artist: Boy And Bear

Song: Mexican Mavis