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BOY & BEAR
release new self-titles
fifth studio album
‘BOY & BEAR’

BUY/STREAM HERE

Ahead of forthcoming
AU/NZ Tour

MORE INFO HERE

ALBUM LAUNCH EVENTS IN SYDNEY, MELBOURNE &BRISBANE THIS WEEK

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Photo – Maclay Heriot

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Today, Australian chart-topping and ARIA-award winning act Boy & Bear release their self-titled fifth studio album, Boy & Bear, available now independently. 

The band celebrate their album release with two very special and intimate evening events at Sydney’s Lansdowne Hotel this coming Monday, May 29 (hosted by Linda Marigliano) and Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club on Tuesday, May 30 (hosted by Bridget Hustwaite), discussing their career journey, taking questions from the audience and playing some of their new and most defining songs acoustically. Limited tickets remain available to purchase here.

Following four ARIA top-10 charted albums, including two to take out the number one slot, Harlequin Dream and Limit of Love, it is with high anticipation that the indie band release their fifth studio LP.  A new body of work, each of the 11 tracks were self-produced and recorded at Golden Retriever Studios in Marrickville, Sydney, and mixed by Craig Silvey at Toast Studios in London.

Tim Hart, from the band, says the album represents a renewal of positivity, hunger and strength as they regain the opportunity to explore adventurous beginnings and creative turning points after being apart during the pandemic years. The album is the latest evolution in their approach to their songwriting and recording. It has familiar elements for listeners who have been on the journey since the early albums – a sense of rawness and authenticity, highlighted by Hosking’s signature heart-touching lyricism and indie-led melodies – melded with the band’s characteristic blend of pop sensibilities. Simultaneously, it’s a fresh chapter for Boy & Bear, showcasing electronic flourishes and rhythmic elements that were hinted at in their 2019 record, Suck on Light.

Dave Symes from the band says of their self-titled fifth album: “We wanted to make an album of seductive grooves, soaring melodies, modulated ambient textures, and great stories. We worked hard to strike the right balance between vintage and cutting edge, polished and sure, but full of heart and wild touches. Experimenting with analogue and digital became a happy place on this record, not just in the way we created sounds but also in the way we wrote them, performed them and put them together. After lock down it was great to all be back together in the studio, exploring the music we had been creating via various forms of correspondence. Nothing beats the feeling of getting the band back together and making music collectively. While we kept it local and made the album at home in Sydney, it was a real treat to get to mix the majority of the album with Craig at Toast studios in London. His creative touch added the final ingredient to the album, an album I have had a great time exploring, getting to know and now share with others.”

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Further, Dave Hosking shares: “I’m fascinated by the fragility of our own minds but also what we’re capable of – there are love songs, there are songs of struggle and there are songs of celebration.”

First track, “Strange World” opens to a quintessentially Australian chorus of cicadas as the band’s homecoming journey in sound commences. A warbling synth bordering psychedelia oozes a warm aura as the song progressively builds to a harmonious groove. Next, anchored by the band’s 70s inspired pop-folk heart, prior single “State of Flight” runs free with a melodic and echoed choral chant. Lead vocalist Dave Hosking’s unmistakable voice, falsetto at times, cuts through in its immediacy andemotive simplicity, amid layers of strummed guitars, lapping beats and flourishes of guitar licks.

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Third song and fourth to be previewed from the album ahead of release, “Silver Moon” is a shimmering hit of indie-pop. Slinky synth jabs and sharp guitar riffs accompany Hosking’s vocals, while a gliding run of guitars and falsetto marry together a punchy and curious groove. Soon, the soft and serene opening of “Magnus” enters as Hosking’s vocals take on a hauntingly beautiful depth. Smooth pads of synth add an expansive and luscious quality to the track, as horns and saxophone add dancing melodic runs. 

Next, previous single “Apex” arrives as an ethereal blast of indie-pop. Hosking’s immediate vocals croon beneath an arpeggiated guitar, as an easy flow of warm rhythms flavour the echoed choruses andcoos, hinting at a band in their cohesive prime. A twinkling array of synths bleed together before a lowly muted bassline keeps the tempo of “Muscle” in check. A piano-centric hook accompanies a harmonious arrangement of hushed backing vocals as the driving rhythm presents bittersweet bliss. 

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Seventh track, “Crossfire” presents the reverberating harmonics of an organ as Hosking’s vocals capture the dance between restrained beauty and blaring emotions. Plucked guitar strings and a bassline bounces between the folds of falsetto to become a thoroughly engrossing listen. Previous single, “Just To Be Kind” follows, timeless in energy as a juxtaposition of intimate and poignant lyricism with grand and uplifting indie-alt pop. The track’s irresistible beat is wrapped in expansive synths evoking a calm and conciliatory mood to recognising love in the face of tough decisions.

Next up, “Tin Man” is a divine expression of indie-pop experimentation. Filtered vocals pace between immediate melodies, as lightning cracks of guitar add unexpected accoutrement and interest. The slow and swinging beat of “Hostage” is punctuated with cruising one-liners and falsetto highs from Hosking, as a guitar-backed melody drives a larger arrangement of indie delight. Final track, “The Wheel” is the album’s swan song of cathartic energy. Piano chords are crisp and centered as an uplifting melody andpace provides a euphoric finish. Dancing between the shadows and into the light, the song is the band showcasing their best.

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Boy & Bear will celebrate today’s release by touring Australia and New Zealand from June. Hitting both cities and regional locations across Australia, the band will be supported on stops along the way by Boo Seeka and FELIVAND. See below for full tour dates and ticketing information.

The band’s fifth self-titled album arrives following a jubilant return to music in 2022, with its previous singles “State Of Flight”, “Just To Be Kind”, “State of Flight” and “Apex” receiving widespread global press adoration. Prior to its release, the band enjoyed an extensive national and regional tour, a European and UK tour, and a 10-year anniversary celebration of their ARIA double platinum album, Moonfire. The band were most recently nominated for Reader’s Choice at the Rolling Stone Awards 2023.

Sydney-bred Boy & Bear first rose to prominence in 2009, uploading their track “The Storm” to triple j Unearthed. Two years later, their debut album Moonfire was released, which would go on to reach double platinum ARIA status, peaked at #2 on the ARIA chart, winning five ARIA awards including Album of the Year, and three spots in the triple j Hottest 100. In 2013, their sophomore album Harlequin Dream debuted at ARIA’s #1 spot and is certified platinum. Their third album, Limit of Love was be their second consecutive #1 ARIA chart debut, and see them tour the world multiple times, become Splendour in the Grass festival favourites, perform on Conan O’Brien, and sell out two Sydney Opera House visits. While the band have enjoyed a ten-year career of outstanding accolades and cherished hits, they’ve also continued their reputation as one of the country’s best live acts, performing to upwards of 65,000 Australian fans every year, in addition to regular sold-out international tours.

Enter the world of Boy & Bear today, as their newest and independently released self-titled album becomes yours to hold ahead of their not-to-be-missed live shows coming to a city near you.

NATIONAL TOUR DATES BELOW

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BOY & BEAR’S SELF-TITLED BOY & BEAR LP IS OUT NOW
BUY/STREAM HERE

TRACKLIST

1. Strange World
2. State of Flight
3. Silver Moon
4. Magnus
5. Apex
6. Muscle
7. Crossfire
8. Just To Be Kind
9. Tin Man
10. Hostage
11. The Wheel

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Follow BOY & BEAR
FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM – TWITTER – YOUTUBE – TIKTOK

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AMNPLIFY – DB