RH First Look: Boy and Bear
Lollapalooza is always a hectic weekend, and no matter how you plan it, things do not always work out the way you'd hope. Yet while traveling from Sydney to LA to Chicago in a matter of 30 hours, Australia's newest indie success Boy and Bear had a very content beginning in a city brand new to their eyes, and music especially recognizable to their ears. The band's founder and front-man, Dave Hosking, who I chatted with as the other four members sat back patiently, said that the band was very satisfied after catching My Morning Jacket's performance earlier in the festival. With the media tent bustling on the final day of another wonderful August weekend at Grant Park, I spoke with Dave on the band's beginning, as well as their work with esteemed producer Joe Chicarelli (My Morning Jacket, Beck, The Strokes) on their latest critically acclaimed LP Moonfire and much more.
Having heard their names thrown in with the likes of Fleet Foxes, and Mumford and Sons, Boy and Bear are representing a fresh brand of Australian indie rock, as electronic based music has been more prevalent recently in Australia. Hosking stated "I dunno, now there are lot of cool bands like Empire of The Sun, doing more electro based stuff, and more indie/folk indie bands, you know really great bands who are sort of moving away from that traditional rock feel, It's cool, it's really exciting. It feels like it's thriving, a bunch of great bands coming up the ranks, and we're happy to be a part of it."
With one LP down, and their first visit to the states behind them, the group is only looking ahead, which for them means simply returning stateside for a larger nationwide tour and recording, recording, recording. Read on to gain the First Look at indie newcomers Boy and Bear.