We chat to a Bear in Heaven in high spirits, as they embark upon UK shores for the first time, about their reputation as being bummed out and the surreality of music at the minute
At the end of last year the usual year end lists were published with many inclusions perhaps coming as no surprise – Merriweather at number one with Grizzly Bear, The Flaming Lips etc all following close behind. One record did however continually feature that not many pre-empted. That record was ‘Beast Rest Forth Mouth’ by Bear in Heaven, and you really would be hard pressed to find another band with better things written about them at the close of 2009.
After being stuck in baggage collection at Madrid airport, the band finally landed for the UK stretch of their European tour. We had a chat with a surprisingly chirpy Jon and Adam from BiH at The Lexington, the north London boozer that is one of many venues they have sold out on their primary voyage upon our shores.
Rob: For those not familiar with Bear in Heaven, what are your names and what do you do in the band?
Jon: I’m Jon Philpot, I sing and play nostalgia buttons.
Adam: (laughs) Nostalgia buttons?
Jon: Yeah!
Adam: Riiight, I’m Adam Wills and I play guitar and bass.
You’ve just started a pretty long tour, how’s it all been going so far?
Jon: Really well actually. The US dates were really full and it was a good positive run.
You played with Mew as well.
Jon: Yeah, it was one of those moments where we were like (mimics face of shock) “oh, we’re doing something really big”.
So you’re touring as a 3-piece – I’m guessing it’s not due to the botched teleportation on the blog? (http://bearinheaven.tumblr.com/).
Jon: Just real life. Our fourth member couldn’t come on tour; he has to do a proper job and make house payments. We were a short tour band forever, then this record came out and we’re going to be touring for much of the year, there’s no big mystery there.
Is there any new material on the tour?
Jon: We’ve just finished a remix for Gonjasufi. One of the things we’re starting to have to figure out is how to do new material from the road.
You haven’t played in the UK before. What can fans expect from a Bear in Heaven live show?
Adam: (laughs) Well at this point complete exhaustion…
Jon: (laughing) …mixed with emotional meltdown.
Adam: We’ve had two and a half days of intense travelling, so tonight should be really cathartic. Jon will kick over his mic’ stand, I’ll jump off the kick drum...
Jon: (laughs) …all of this won’t happen by the way, really, just a lot of volume.
You seem to have made the transition between being a blogger's band to being a worldwide critically acclaimed one.
Adam: We did? When did we do that? I think we’ve still only just hit a point where we’re like, “oh crap, we’re a band!”.
Well you worked with Vincent Moon.
Adam: He’s a good guy; we’re going to meet up with him when we’re in Paris. He’s truly passionate about what he does and he’s good as hell at it – he’s got a really good energy.
Do you think you’ll do anything professionally?
Adam: (laughing) He’ll try to squeeze something out of us, I can guarantee it.
Jon: He’s quite (clicking fingers) on the go man (laughs).
‘Beast Rest Fourth Mouth’ almost sounded as if you found a number of gears from the sound on your debut.
Adam: A touch maybe. The songs to my ears sounded better, but just like anything with time…
Jon: …you work at it longer…
Adam: …and you get better, hopefully! (laughs). If you don’t then, well you should probably do something else (laughs more).
One constant in your music does seem to be a distinct mood.
Jon: (laughs) Yeah everyone thinks we’re these dark, bummed out people.
Adam: But we’re actually bright, cheery, happy people; this is just how we let it out.
It seems to be quite a rich time for experimental music at the moment. What do you think lead to this and what do you think it means for music?
Jon: John Cage!
Adam: John Cage?
Jon: Yeah he did it thirty or forty years ago.
Adam: I think it’s always been a rich time for experimental music.
Perhaps I mean that it’s more viable.
Jon: It’s weird that Black Dice can play in freaking Central Park! Its nuts, it’s almost as if it’s not real.
Adam: Yeah, that a band like Animal Collective can go gold. Actually, did they go gold?
Jon: And Fuck Buttons, right? They’re fucking crazy! They make crazy music and people love it – it’s awesome! I think its opening the doorway and making a lot more things possible.
What are the future plans for Bear in Heaven?
Adam: More tour.
Jon: Yeah, more tour!
Adam: The idea is that by the beginning of July we’ll have three more songs. They might be terrible, but we’ll have three more!
Jon: I don’t know man, all this playing live, I feel limber. I feel really flexible right now. It’s like doing yoga or something; like I could lift my legs behind my head.
Adam: No you can’t!
Jon: I could man! I mean in a musical sense, I could put my legs behind my head. But no, I’m probably physically the furthest away from putting my legs behind my head than I’ve ever been.
Bear in Heaven play the final date of the UK stint of their European tour at The Lexington on Monday 26th April.
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