BOY & BEAR UNEARTH SONGS FROM ‘HARLEQUIN DREAM’ ARCHIVES SHARING NEW SINGLE ‘ABRAHAM’ NEW EP ‘LOST DREAMS’ DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 15 + ‘HARLEQUIN DREAM’ 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY VINYL DUE OUT SEPTEMBER 1
Exactly 10 years on from the release of their chart topping, ARIA-nominated album Harlequin Dream, Sydney’s Boy & Bear return today with a brand new single Abraham alongside the announcement of a new EP Lost Dreams; and the timing is no mere coincidence, with the new material comprised of found songs taken from the Harlequin Dream studio time. A celebration and continuation of the band’s most successful album to date, the Lost Dreams chapter launches today via the sun-soaked Abraham, ahead of the EP’s release on Friday September 15 amid the band embarking on an extensive regional tour throughout September, October and well into November.
A jubilant blend of folk, blues and pop, Abraham seamlessly unfurls with undulating vocals, sparkling instrumentation and pulsing yet sparse rhythms, equally floating and foot-stomping in trademark Boy & Bear fashion. Offering a track that is just as at home in 2023 as it was back in the band’s Harlequin Dream era, drawing inspiration from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Band of Horses amongst many others, Abraham’s unfettered groove-laden 70s pop charm presents as part time machine and part celebration for Boy & Bear, as lead vocalist and guitarist David Hosking explains, “I think It’s always interesting looking back and listening to old tunes. On one level the band has come such a long way but it’s also exciting to be able to reflect on the way we were approaching songwriting back then. I think we were definitely more traditional in that most songs had these big choruses and sing along moments and Abraham definitely sits in that world. Hopefully people can connect with that old approach”. And Abraham’s footloose whimsy was certainly no accident at the time, as vocalist and instrumentalist Jon Hart reflects, “It’s a bit of a time warp listening back to Abraham, I can remember where I was sitting in the studio when we recorded it and what life felt like back then. We’ve always been classic overthinkers in the studio, but I think that Abraham sounds pretty free and just like we went in and played it without labouring over it too much.”
With three new songs retrieved from the Harlequin Dream studio archives lying in wait on their upcoming EP, including the blissful Abraham, the jaunty emotives of Eye Of The Canyon and the neofolk charm of Mexico, the trip down Boy & Bear memory lane was not initially a journey the band had ever planned on taking. With all three tracks written by the band themselves, co-produced by Wayne Conolly, mixed by Phil Ek and mastered by Greg Calbi, the eventual road to Lost Dreams initially started with actual loss, with the EP’s finished singles seemingly lost in the void before the mastered files were saved and pulled from the depths. “We were all definitely aware of the songs’ existence,” says guitarist Killian Gavin, “but just like the growing folder of songs we never finish, I don’t think we ever thought they would see the light of day. We couldn’t find the files for the songs so we ended up speaking to Phil Ek (who mixed the album) to try and track down the mixes, then he put us in touch with the mastering team who were surprisingly able to track down the mastered files from 10 years ago!”. And, as bass player David Symes reveals, the unearthing of the seemingly lost tracks opened the floodgates to the Boy & Bear experience over a decade ago, “It’s like finding an old t-shirt in the bottom of the draw when you move house. Kind of like: wow, remember that!? It brings back memories and feelings from that time, everything from the light that filtered in through the window while we were recording, to the meals we shared at the end of the day.”
An organic expansion on the album that snagged multiple ARIA award nominations, a triple j award nomination and saw Boy & Bear achieve their first ever ARIA #1, as well as spawning the band’s breakout single, triple Platinum Southern Sun which has amassed over 80 million individual streams to date, Lost Dreams not only sonically expands on the Harlequin Dream universe established in 2013; its artwork also comes full circle, with Harlequin Dream’s artist Vaughan Flanagan returning to conjure the aptly dream-like Lost Dreams cover, as Gavin elaborates, “We came up with the elaborate concept and drew a mock up (very poor version compared to the final) – then we got the wonderful Vaughan Flanagan to do the heavy liftingand bring it all to life”. And as to the new cover’s concept, Hosking reveals, “We definitely came up with the concept of the artwork. We wanted it to feel dreamy to tie in with the title. There was an old film I can’t remember the name of, but it had all these cowboys attempting to tie down a T-rex which was pretty cool and that became part of the inspiration. I’ve always had a love too for anthropomorphism and wanted to embrace that to give the artwork this other worldly feeling”.
Since forming in 2009, Boy & Bear have consistently presented as a band focused on moving to the beat of their own drum, while also continually and effortlessly enamouring with their dulcet yet refreshing brand of indie rock. A band hellbent on creative curiosity and pushing themselves as musicians and songwriters, Boy & Bear have attained a level of staying power most artists could only dream of; and all without sacrificing their authentic vision and driving love for their craft. Achieving early career support from triple j and triple j Unearthed, Boy & Bear swiftly catapulted into national contenders, releasing their double-platinum debut album Moonfire in 2011, which went on to snag five coveted ARIA award wins. Since then, 2013’s Harlequin Dream and 2015’s Limit Of Love only strengthened Boy & Bear’s expansive presence, with both albums charting at #1, and Harlequin Dream marking the group’s second studio album to go Platinum. From 2019’s Suck on Light to 2023’s self-titled full length, Boy & Bear have continued to grow and strengthen professionally amidst the ever-changing musical climate – and there’s zero sign of slowing down anytime soon in the land of Boy & Bear, including a special 10 year anniversary Harlequin Dream vinyl set for release on Friday September 1 ahead of the Lost Dreams EP release two weeks later.
Having performed across the globe throughout their career, including multiple world tours and appearances at the likes of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Splendour in the Grass, Boy & Bear are equally capable and comfortable onstage to sold out crowds at the Sydney Opera House as they are performing on Conan O’Brien, and fans across Australia will be able to witness the insatiable past, present and future of Boy & Bear live in action later this year, with a huge regional tour that will kick off on September 13 in Castlemaine, Victoria, before closing out on November 26 at Queenscliff Music Festival in Victoria. With five shows already sold out, the upcoming Boy & Bear tour is set to be something truly special for all involved, as Symes shares, “Jumping up on the Band Stand and performing is a place where our songs can take on a new life and journey through the live experience. The journey of a band and a song is endless, and our live show is always evolving”. And there will be plenty of surprises as Boy & Bear continue their incredible journey into 2023 and beyond, as Hosking concludes, “A new refreshed set list of old and new tunes. It’s been fun already on the Australian tour piecing together some old songs we’d never really played alongside new songs off the new record. I like to think our set is like a train setting off. It starts off with a subtle momentum and by the end we are in full flight and feeling unstoppable.”
Abraham is out today, Wednesday August 16.
Harlequin Dream 10 year anniversary vinyl is set for release Friday September 1.
Lost Dreams is due out Friday September 15.
BOY & BEAR – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
Tickets available from www.boyandbear.com
WED 13 SEP | THEATRE ROYAL, CASTLEMAINE VIC | 18+
THU 14 SEP | GPAC, TRARALGON VIC | ALL-AGES
FRI 15 SEP | PIER BANDROOM, FRANKSTON VIC | 18+
SAT 16 SEP| TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY VIC (SOLD OUT)
SUN 17 SEP | TORQUAY HOTEL, TORQUAY VIC | 18+
THU 21 SEP | BEER DELUXE, ALBURY NSW | 18+
FRI 22 SEP | ANITAS THEATRE, THIRROUL NSW | ALL-AGES
THU 28 SEP | NEWCASTLE CIVIC THEATRE, NEWCASTLE NSW | 18+
FRI 29 SEP | DRIFTERS WHARF, CENTRAL COAST NSW | 18+
SAT 30 SEP | BLUE MOUNTAINS THEATRE + COMMUNITY HUB, BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW (SOLD OUT)
WED 4 OCT | ALBANY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, ALBANY WA | ALL-AGES
THU 5 OCT | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER WA | 18+
FRI 6 OCT | THE RIVER, MARGARET RIVER WA (SOLD OUT)
SAT 7 OCT | OUT OF THE WOODS FESTIVAL, FREMANTLE WA | 18+
WED 11 OCT | SEABREEZE HOTEL, MACKAY QLD | 18+
THU 12 OCT | MAGNUMS, AIRLIE BEACH QLD | 18+
FRI13 OCT | JCU UNIBAR, TOWNSVILLE QLD | 18+
SAT 14 OCT | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD | 18+
SUN 15 OCT | TANKS ARTS CENTRE, CAIRNS QLD (SOLD OUT)
WED 8 NOV | KINGS BEACH TAVERN, SUNSHINE COAST QLD | 18+
THU 9 NOV | KINGS BEACH TAVERN, SUNSHINE COAST QLD (SOLD OUT)
FRI 10 NOV | BURLEIGH BAZAAR, GOLD COAST QLD | 18+
SAT 11 NOV | EMPIRE THEATRE, TOOWOOMBA QLD | ALL-AGES
SAT 23 NOV | SHOALHAVEN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, NOWRA NSW
SUN 26 NOV | QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL, QUEENSCLIFF VIC | ALL-AGES
JORDAN WILSON SHARES NEW SINGLE + VIDEO ‘TERMINALS’
The sonic equivalent of entering a dream world, the new single Terminals, the latest outing from Sydney singer-songwriter Jordan Wilson, murmurs and charms with otherworldly delights. Inspired by a cultural reset, Leonard Cohen and some well-timed real life absurdity, Terminals is also today accompanied by the release of a captivating and potent music video. And Jordan Wilson fans can also catch him performing the new single and many other musical delights alongside Motion Sickness at The Chippo Hotel in Sydney on Thursday 24 November and The Old Bar in Melbourne on Wednesday 7 December.
A fluid, intimate and atmospheric dive into Jordan’s heady musical world, Terminals marks the second single from Jordan’s solo endeavours, following on from the melancholic and delectably gripping 2021 track Totem. Boasting glimmering soundscapes, lush melodics and languid intensity, Terminals charms in its abstract yet approachable creative universe, as if Thom Yorke, Nick Cave and Agnes Obel were billowing through a dream accompanied by Jordan’s ever-emboldened stylings. Also inspired by Jordan’s own personal juxtaposition experienced after returning from living in Europe and being on a jobsite back home, Terminals grew from a moment of absurdity into something with much deeper meaning, as Jordan explains, “Terminals was written after I had just gotten back from a stint living in Europe. I was a bit down and lost so my father corralled me in to coming to work for him. My body was in shock from going from sipping lattes on the Parisian streets to digging holes in the Australian suburbs. I overheard one of the other workers at lunch after going to the toilet: “You know mate, no matter how hard I shake it, there’s always two drops left”. I was eating lunch by myself, but it made me laugh out loud on the spot. Something about the absurdity of it all brought me back to earth and I was able to start writing again. That line means something else to me now, but it helps me to appreciate the many situations that life can throw you in.”
Working with Daniel Lee Kendall on Terminals, with Daniel co-producing and mixing, the sublime new track was mixed by William Bowden, while its equally mesmerising accompanying music video was brought to life by frequent Jordan collaborator Odin Umeofia as well as Jordan’s brother and fellow artist Lavrence. Featuring Jordan and his partner Maia Marsh, the clip ultimately embodies the notions of transformation and uncertainties, frequently flipping the watcher in and beyond the physical lighthouse, with the fanciful lyrical and ambient music coating proceedings. Devised by Jordan himself alongside his team, the end result draws you deeper into the Terminals narrative while, overall, blending hope with the unknown. “I came up with the concept of this clip alongside my collaborator Odin Umeofia and my brother Lavrence always helps as well,” shares Jordan of the Terminals music video. “My partner Maia Marsh who plays under her own name and a band called Motion Sickness features in it with me. It’s set at/in a lighthouse which represents the Terminal or house of transformation. It’s a powerful image as it sits on the coast as an isolated figure and calls out to the great unknown, guiding ghostly ships to shore. The clip cuts from ‘inside’ the lighthouse to out. I wanted the inner world to be freaky and spoofy to represent the underworld of the psyche and have that release of the outside shots culminating in the final lines of the song, ‘We know the way out’.”
An artist, songwriter and performer already firmly established for his work with indie duo Georgia Fair, Jordan has been steadily evolving his own solo creative works, with a debut solo album building on the horizon following the release of his debut solo single Totem and its follow up Terminals. Signing a major label deal at the age of 21, Jordan has previously landed two albums in the Top 100 ARIA charts, lived and recorded in Australia, Europe and America, and has previously toured and performed alongside the likes of John Mayer, Paul Kelly and Kate Miller-Heidke. Also recently publishing his first ever book last year, a collection of short stories and poems Some Short, Some Long, Jordan is set to weave more musical and creative magic beyond 2022; but there’s still plenty of magic left as the year draws to a close, including some live shows on the cards set to showcase even more Jordan’s solo work up close and personal, as Jordan concludes, “I think I’ll be going out as a duo for this run of shows. I’m still writing the album and trying songs out on the audience, so it’s nice to show them bare bones to really get down to the core of the message and see what comes across and what doesn’t.”
Terminals is out today, Friday November 18.
JORDAN WILSON – UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
THURS 24 NOV | THE CHIPPO HOTEL, CHIPPENDALE NSW
Supporting Motion Sickness
WED 7 DEC | THE OLD BAR, FITZROY VIC
Supporting Motion Sickness
COOLIO RELEASES POSTHUMOUS SINGLE ‘DO YOU WANT IT’ FEATURING AUSSIE ARTIST, KATIJA
Unexpectedly marking a posthumous release for one of the most successful rappers of his time, the new single Do You Want It by the legendary Coolio and featuring Australian rap and pop artist Katija is a cheeky yet dominant jam loaded with lashings of vivid sensuality. Having been in motion prior to Coolio’s untimely passing, Do You Want It releases today as previously planned by both Coolio and Katija on October 28; and, by sheer coincidence, the track’s unveiling falls exactly one month since the world lost the pioneering rapper, producer and actor.
Bringing together Aussie rapper Katija’s sharp delivery with Coolio’s trademark flair, Do You Want It was inspired by the music and cheek that Coolio himself was feeling while visiting Australia. Having met Coolio while he was in Melbourne, Katija’s fateful in-person introduction to Coolio at the time inadvertently grew into creative and collaborative magic, with Coolio soon reaching out to Katija to feature on a new song he’d been working on. “It was one of those times in life where the stars just aligned,” shares Katija of meeting and eventually working with Coolio.“I had just started working on my first few singles at Cosmic Bounce Records Studio’s in Brunswick with my talented producer, KB. Coolio was here in Melbourne for the Made In The 90s Tour and he was introduced to the studio by Scorpion Media who had met him behind the scenes at the Bliss N Esso concert where he performed Gangsta’s Paradise in February this year. Coolio had a creative itch to start writing music again, you could see it and feel it in his energy. Coolio said he had been to other studios around Melbourne, yet had never finished a song and said it wasn’t until he walked into CBR that he finally felt at home. It was the night of my video clip shoot for my single Lullaby, and here was Coolio just chilling on the couch hanging out after he’d finished a recording session with KB. Coolio stayed the entire night to hang out with us and even started writing his own verses to my song. Two weeks later Coolio was in another session with KB working on one of the few songs they had started together and he decided Do You Want It needed a female feature artist. As we had already started to develop a relationship, I came by the studio, sat in on the session and then began to put pen to paper and write the female version of his verses as my reply. Before I knew it, I was in the recording booth with Coolio mentoring me on how to execute the lyrics on his track.” KB adds, “Coolio saw something special in Katija before she even stepped into the booth, he’d tried to finish songs with feature artists, but had trouble finding artists who could match his energy, but Katija did just that.”
Boasting sultry horn samples, swaggering beats and oscillating audacious vocals between Coolio and Katija, Do You Want It started life as a beat that instantly connected with Coolio via its fresh and fun 90s inspired sound. Co-written by Coolio and Katija, produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Kristo Beyrouthy, aka kb808 – the creative spark behind the head-turning beat, Do You Want It went on to evolve into its jaunty end result via Coolio and Katija’s unique sonic strengths, with Katija also drawing on her adoration for another iconic rapper for her hypnotic vocal stylings on the new tune, as she explains, “My favourite rapper of all time is Eminem. I was given the nickname Feminem growing up because all I wanted to do when I went to parties or hang out with friends was to show everyone how I can rap any of Eminem’s songs word for word, breath for breath. The beat for Do You Want It was produced by kb808, and instantly Coolio loved it, the writing came so naturally to him, because the sound was familiar to his 90s style music background and influences.”
Harnessing her love of performance and all things creative before going on to study music, dancing and acting, Katija has frequently appeared on stage in musicals and has worked as a professional Brazilian Samba and Go-Go dancer; but her passion and natural ability for rapping has continuously been apparent, with the talented Sunshine Coast-turned-Melbourne-based artist dreaming of life as a rap artist and hip hop dance performer. Temporarily putting her dreams on hold six years ago to support herself and her mother financially, Katija has tirelessly worked behind the scenes over the years to not only bolster her personal and professional pursuits, but also to truly manifest her ultimate creative desires; a fact that also led to her dancing on stage with Coolio in Sydney for the late rapper’s Made in the 90s Festival appearance.
While the world collectively mourned the untimely death of Coolio on September 28 this year, Coolio’s legacy inevitably permeates, from his rise as part of WC and the Maad Circle to his Grammy Award-winning single Gangsta’s Paradise, a giant array of film and television appearances, eight studio albums and global acclaim since first emerging professionally in the late 80s. With Do You Want It planned for release on October 28 well before Coolio’s death, the single was also intended to be the first of many more creative collaborations between Coolio and Katija’s, as Katija reveals, “This release had only just scratched the surface of the adventure we had planned, we set the October release date in July. The peculiar thing about this date is that it falls exactly one month to the day of his passing and we felt we needed to honour what was already set in motion and follow through with the release date as planned, even though the circumstances had changed, it is what Coolio would have wanted.”
A bittersweet last musical gift showcasing Coolio’s incomparable artistic talents, Do You Want It is unapologetically fun and fearless; a modern nod to the rap gods of old alongside an enigmatic showing from a magnetic Aussie artist. “Coolio truly was one of the world’s greatest and most iconic rappers of our time,” Katija concludes. “He paved the way for rap and hip-hop music to break into the pop music scene and opened the door for many of the great hip-hop artists to follow. To be featuring on a song with one of my biggest idols in the hip-hop music scene is absolutely surreal. I am beyond grateful and blessed for the opportunity I had to work with Coolio. Even though our time was sadly cut short, I will cherish the memories of time we spent together and the relationship we built. Now all I can say is I am honoured to be able to share one of his last ever singles with the world and give everyone the special gift of being able to hear Coolio’s iconic voice on a new song one more time.”