March 3, 2023

Boy & Bear Announce New Zealand Tour This June

Pioneers of the Australian indie scene Boy & Bear have announced they will be returning to Aotearoa this June playing Wellington’s San Fran and Auckland’s Powerstation.

Touring in support of their soon to be released self-titled album, this will be the band’s first visit to New Zealand since 2016.

Following four ARIA Top-10 albums, including two #1’s, Boy & Bear return with a new body of work, self-produced and recorded at Golden Retriever Studios in Marrickville (an inner-city suburb of their Sydney hometown) and mixed by Craig Silvey at Toast Studios in London.

Drummer Tim Hart 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 song writing 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 frontman Dave 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.

Bassist Dave Symes says of the record:

“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.”

The album arrives following a jubilant return to music in 2022, with their singles “State Of Flight” and “Just To Be Kind”, as well as an extensive Australian, European and UK tour, and a 10-year anniversary celebration of their ARIA double platinum album, Moonfire. Today’s third song released from their forthcoming album, “Apex” is an ethereal blast of indie-pop. As Hosking’s immediate vocals croon beneath an arpeggiated guitar, an easy flow of warm grooves takes hold, flavouring the echoed choruses and coos.

Hosking says of their latest single, “Apex”:

“This song was a late bloomer. We had most of the record done and then Jon discovered an old version of this song which had a verse and chorus melody but no lyrics. This tends to be the way I write, come up with a melody using sounds and words that fit rhythmically but have no actual meaning, and then work back from there to fill in the story. Often the melody itself starts to drive the themes so it’s really about connecting with the melodic atmosphere and then supporting it with an appropriate story. I always loved the melody so I was determined to come up with the right lyric.”

For Hosking, “Apex” came together around the juxtaposition between seemingly having a good life and ‘living the dream’, whilst at the same time dealing with ongoing struggles in his life. The song is an acceptance of that state of being, but not an admission of defeat.

The band will celebrate their new record with two stops in Aotearoa playing Wellington’s San Fran on Friday June 23 and Auckland’s Powerstation on Saturday 24 June. Tickets for both dates are on sale midday Tues 7 March.

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. Most recently, their music appeared in a campaign alongside Matthew McConaughey, the band performed alongside Crowded House, and enjoyed widespread success on their first independent releases, “State Of Flight” and “Just To Be Kind”.