Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2015
Background information
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Indie rock, folk rock, folk
Years active 2009 (2009)–present
Labels Nettwerk, Island
Website boyandbear.com
Members Dave Hosking
Killian Gavin
Tim Hart
Jon Hart
Dave Symes
Past members Jake Tarasenko

Boy & Bear is an Australian indie rock-folk music band formed in 2009, consisting of David Hosking (vocals and guitar), Killian Gavin (vocals and guitar), Tim Hart (drums and vocals), Jonathan Hart (vocals, banjo, mandolin and keyboards) and David Symes (bass).[1] The band has released three albums, Moonfire (August 2011) and Harlequin Dream, (August 2013) both reaching the top ten of the Australian albums chart. Their third album, Limit of Love, was released on 9 October 2015, in Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada, and on 30 October in the UK and EU.

History

Hosking performing with Boy & Bear in 2014.

Formation

Boy & Bear was formed in 2009 in Sydney, beginning as a solo project for singer-songwriter Dave Hosking.[2] In February 2009, Hosking uploaded a track, "The Storm", to the Unearthed program on radio station Triple J,[2] and it became a featured song at the station.[3] Hosking met Killian Gavin, who was a singer-songwriter and guitarist in Ovell, and the pair started jamming together.[2][4] Tim Hart, from another university band, Wintersound, joined as a drummer and singer-songwriter.[2][4] Then they expanded with Hart's brother Jon (ex-Wintersound) on keyboard, vocals, mandolin and banjo and Jake Tarasenko (ex-Tripartisan Approach) on bass guitar.[3][4][5][6] All five had fronted their own groups and became friends after regularly sharing the stage at gigs.[4] Their songwriting usually has Hosking strumming chords on a guitar, Gavin writing the hooks, and the Hart brothers providing backing vocal lyrics, keyboard parts and drum lines.[2] On 21 October they issued an independent single, "Mexican Mavis", which was a featured song for the "Next Crop '09" segment on Triple J.[2][4] In November 2009, the band described its style as "a combination of drivey indie folk and choral harmonies".[7]

Aside from Triple J, the band received national airplay on NovaFM.[3][6] The group signed with Island Records Australia[5][8] and in 2013 they signed internationally with Nettwerk. After winning the 2009 Unearthed competition, they gained a performance spot at Homebake in December.[7][9] They later toured Australia backing Angus and Julia Stone and Hungry Kids of Hungary.[7][9] In 2010, they toured the UK supporting Laura Marling and Alessi's Ark,[10] and later supported Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour. They also featured on Passenger's album 'Flight of the Crow'. In May Boy & Bear released their debut extended play, With Emperor Antarctica,[11] which peaked at No. 63 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[9][12] In 2010 they recorded the song "Fall at Your Feet" for He Will Have His Way, a tribute album to singer-songwriter brothers, Tim and Neil Finn. Boy & Bear's version of "Fall at Your Feet" was listed at No. 5 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2010.[13] Another of their tracks, "Rabbit Song" was placed at No. 45.[14] In November 2010 their cover of "Fall at Your Feet" peaked at No. 34 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In April 2011, their early single, "Mexican Mavis", was featured on US TV series, 90210, season three episode, "Nerdy Little Secrets".

Moonfire

On 5 August 2011, Boy & Bear released their debut album Moonfire. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with producer, Joe Chiccarelli and reached No. 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[15] During that year, single "Feeding Line" debuted at No. 49.[16][16] In December, Moonfire finished third in the Triple J album poll of 2011. It also reached platinum sales. On the Triple J Hottest 100, 2011 Boy & Bear were listed three times, with "Part Time Believer" and "Milk & Sticks" at No. 50 and No. 49, respectively, while "Feeding Line" reached No. 4. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2011 Boy & Bear won in five categories: Breakthrough Artist – Single for "Feeding Line"; and Album of the Year, Best Group, Breakthrough Artist – Album and Best Adult Alternative Release for Moonfire.[17][18] The following year, the band received an ARIA nomination for Best Group.

In October 2012, it was announced that the original bass-guitarist Jake Tarasenko had left the band 'to pursue other interests'. The group also announced that they had started work on a follow-up album.[19]

Harlequin Dream

Boy & Bear released their second album on 16 August 2013, titled Harlequin Dream. It debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts and is currently on Gold sales. Its release was preceded by the lead single "Southern Sun", a song which paid homage to Richard Clapton's relaxed 1970s steel guitar sound. In 2013 Boy & Bear were nominated for three ARIA awards including, Best Group, Best Rock Album and Producer of the Year with Wayne Connolly. The album was also nominated for a J Award and was ranked #7 in triple j's Top 10 Albums of 2013 poll in the same year. From Harlequin Dream's release until the end of 2014, Boy & Bear completed three international tours, covering AUS/NZ/US/CAN/UK/EU and totalling 168 shows.[20]

Boy & Bear received an ARIA nomination on 2014 for Best Australia Live Act. The album went Platinum in 2016. [21]


Limit of Love

From April to May 2015 Boy & Bear teamed up with producer Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs) at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studio in the UK to record their third album. The album was recorded live and straight to tape, with virtually no overdubs.[22] On 13 August the band announced the album and its lead single "Walk the Wire", which was added to high rotation on triple j. Limit of Love was released on 9 October 2015 in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Canada and will be available from 30 October in the United Kingdom and Europe. Boy & Bear are scheduled to tour the UK/Europe and US in November 2015 in support of the album, with a tour of Australian capital cities to take place in early 2016. They toured with Cobi in the fall of 2016.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
AUS
[23]
BEL
(FL)

[24]
NL
[25]
NZ
[26]
Moonfire 2 91
Harlequin Dream
  • Released: 16 August 2013
  • Label: Island, Universal
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
1 80
Limit of Love
  • Released: 9 October 2015
  • Label: Island, Universal
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
1 83 31
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays

Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
[12]
With Emperor Antarctica
  • Released: 7 May 2010
  • Label: Island, Universal
  • Format: CD, digital download
63
iTunes Live from Sydney[29]
  • Released: 4 November 2011
  • Label: Island, Universal
  • Format: Digital download
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Singles Peak positions Album
AUS
[23]
BEL (FL)
[24]
FRA
[30]
2010 "Fall at Your Feet" 34 Finn Brothers covers album
He Will Have His Way
2011 "Feeding Line" 46 [upper-alpha 1] Moonfire
"Milk & Sticks" 100
"Part Time Believer"
2013 "Southern Sun" 63 82 Harlequin Dream
2015 "Walk the Wire" 121 Limit of Love
Other singles


Notes
  1. "Feeding Line" did not reach the Ultratop chart, but peaked at number 27 on the Ultratip chart.

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[31] Boy & Bear have been nominated for one award.

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2012 Boy & Bear (Killian Gavin, Jonathon Hart, Timothy Hart, David Hosking, Jacob Tarasenko) Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year[32] Won

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In 2011 Boy & Bear won five awards from seven nominations.[17] The group performed their leading single, "Feeding Line", at the awards ceremony.[18][33] They received further nominations in 2012 and 2013.[34][35][36]

Year Nominee/work Award Result
2011 "Feeding Line" Single of the Year Nominated
Breakthrough Artist – Single Won
Moonfire Album of the Year Won
Best Group Won
Breakthrough Artist – Album Won
Best Adult Alternative Release Won
MoonfireJoe Chiccarelli Producer of the Year Nominated
2012 "Big Man" Best Group Nominated
2013 Harlequin Dream Best Group Nominated
Best Rock Album Nominated
2014 Harlequin Dream Best Australian Live Act Nominated

References

  1. Morrow, Guy (2013). 'The influence of Dirty Pool on the Australian Live Music Industry, A Case Study of Boy & Bear' in Peter Tschmuck, Philip Pearce, Steven Campbell (eds.), Music Business and the Experience Economy: The Australasian Case. Berlin: Springer. pp. 142–152.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dave Hosking, Killian Gavin (interviewees), Dom Alessio (interviewer) (9 November 2009). Boy and Bear Interview (Radio broadcast). Sydney: Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 Alessio, Dom (6 October 2009). "Boy and Bear – Mountain Folk". Home & Hosed. Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Featured Artist: Boy & Bear". Unearthed. Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 6 October 2009. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  5. 1 2 Murfett, Andrew (4 June 2010). "Right to Bear's Arms". The Age. Fairfax Media. p. 8.
  6. 1 2 "Boy & Bear", Dolly, p. 8, 31 March 2010
  7. 1 2 3 Alessio, Dom (9 November 2009). "Boy & Bear – Next Crop '09". Home & Hosed. Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  8. Wallace, Ian (6 June 2006). "The ARIA Report" (PDF) (1059). Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA): 4. Retrieved 2 June 2012. Note: A free, open-source original online document for this reference does not exist. In this case, the original is from Pandora Archive and was preserved there on 11 June 2010.
  9. 1 2 3 Dengate, Cayla (3 June 2010). "Barefoot & Ballsy". MX (Australia). p. 21.
  10. "Out of Their Den and Ready to Play". The Mercury. News Limited (News Corporation). 27 May 2010. p. 30.
  11. "Australian Rock's Hidden Gems". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 13 May 2010.
  12. 1 2 Peak positions for extended plays in Australia:
  13. "Triple J Hottest 100". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). January 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  14. "Triple J Hottest 100". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). January 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  15. "Nominations > Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year – 2012". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2012. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  16. 1 2 Hung, Steffen. "Discography Boy & Bear". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  17. 1 2 "The Countdown Begins....Nominations Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 October 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  18. 1 2 ARIA Awards 2011 at Allphones Arena begins with battle of the red carpet - news.com.au - Retrieved 28 Nov 2011.
  19. "Tarasenko leaves" Kiel Egging, 'Boy & Bear Bassist Jake Tarasenko Quits The Band', Music Feeds, 8 October 2012.
  20. Handley, Andrew. "BOY & BEAR ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR". Rip It UP. Rip It Up. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  21. Handley, Andrew. "BOY & BEAR ANNOUNCE AUSTRALIAN TOUR". ARIA. ARIA. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  22. "Boy & Bear spill the beans on their new album, premiere 'Walk The Wire'". triple j. triple j. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Boy & Bear discography". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  24. 1 2 "Boy & Bear discography". ultratop.be/nl/. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  25. "Boy & Bear discography". dutchcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  26. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  27. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  28. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2013 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  29. "iTunes Live From Sydney - Boy & Bear". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  30. "Boy & Bear discography". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  31. "APRA Music Awards 2012". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  32. "Winners for the 2012 APRA Music Awards Announced". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
  33. Boy and Bear dominate ARIA awards - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Retrieved 28 Nov 2011.
  34. "Winners & Nominees Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). 3 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  35. "2012 ARIA Awards Winners By Year". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  36. "2013 ARIA Awards Winners By Year". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 3 December 2013.
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