Bearsuit
Encyclopedia
Bearsuit are an art-rock/dance/punk band from Norwich
, UK.
DJ John Peel
, and their debut single "Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck" was voted number four in the Peel programme's Festive Fifty
of 2001. They recorded four Peel Sessions in 2001 and 2002 and their single "Chargr" was number two in the first Festive Fifty after Peel's death.
Since their full-length album ‘oh:io’ in 2007, the band have undergone a dramatic line-up change, swapped violins, flutes and horns for dirty synths and fierce guitars, notched-up their sound, brought in big time producer Gareth Parton (The Go! Team
, Pete and the Pirates
, Foals, The Breeders
) and recorded a perfectly off-the-wall pop masterpiece – ‘The Phantom Forest’ (due for release in March 2011).
'Please Don’t Take Him Back' was the debut single from the album (released in October 2010) on the UK label Fortuna Pop!
, home to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
and the Pipettes
. As well as being playlisted on BBC 6 Music, the track received airplay on Radio 1 and XFM, and was reviewed in NME, Vice, Artrocker, Clash Magazine, and many more online.
A free download single 'A Train Wreck' was released in December and 'When Will I Be Queen' is scheduled for March, as well as more tour dates, including a European tour in April/May.
As well as touring extensively in the UK, the band completed a 16-date tour of the US in 2008, taking in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Grand Rapids, St Louis and Pittsburgh. They have previously played at Sweden's art-rock noise-pop festival Emmaboda
; where they played alongside Kaito
and Deerhoof
.
Charlene and Joe of Bearsuit also play in Tell Me How. Members have previously played in the Polyphonic Spree
, Cruiser Chimps, Evader, Keytarded, Hyper Kinako, The Bavarian Rocket Group, Velvia and The Aprons.
Bearsuit have previously played various festivals including Latitude, Bestival, The Great Escape and Offset, as well as several abroad including SXSW, Emmaboda (Sweden) and CMJ in New York, where they were voted ‘Best Breakthrough Act’ in a New York Times poll of badge-holders and received shining reviews, including Pitchfork.
The band have also supported the likes of Crystal Castles
, Melt Banana, Future of the Left
, Lightspeed Champion
and Hot Chip
.
They have previously released records on Fantastic Plastic Records
(Ash, Ikara Colt, Futureheads, The Guillemots), Happy Happy Birthday To Me (US) (Bunnygrunt, Lovely Eggs, Hotpants Romance) and Micro Indie (US) (Sodastream, The Universe, The Icicles).
The band have been championed by BBC radio DJs including John Peel, Steve Lamacq
, Huw Stephens
, Zane Lowe
, Rob Da Bank
, Phill Jupitus
, Marc Riley
, Tom Ravenscroft
, Tom Robinson
, Colin Murray
, Gideon Coe
and John Kennedy
on XFM.
Accolades include scooping 'Vinyl of the Week' in the NME
, 'Pick of the Week' in The Guardian
, and 'Album of the Fortnight' in Artrocker
.
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, UK.
Biography
Bearsuit first came to public attention following their championing by Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
DJ John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, and their debut single "Hey Charlie, Hey Chuck" was voted number four in the Peel programme's Festive Fifty
Festive Fifty
The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's fifty best songs compiled at the end of the year and voted for by listeners to John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show...
of 2001. They recorded four Peel Sessions in 2001 and 2002 and their single "Chargr" was number two in the first Festive Fifty after Peel's death.
Since their full-length album ‘oh:io’ in 2007, the band have undergone a dramatic line-up change, swapped violins, flutes and horns for dirty synths and fierce guitars, notched-up their sound, brought in big time producer Gareth Parton (The Go! Team
The Go! Team
The Go! Team are a six-piece band from Brighton, England. They combine indie rock and garage rock with a mixture of blaxploitation and Bollywood soundtracks, double dutch chants, old school hip hop and distorted guitars similar to the style of Sonic Youth. Their songs are a mix of live...
, Pete and the Pirates
Pete and the Pirates
Pete And The Pirates are an English indie rock band from Reading. The band consists of Thomas Sanders , Peter Hefferan , David Thorpe , Peter Cattermoul and Jonny Sanders...
, Foals, The Breeders
The Breeders
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal , her twin sister Kelley Deal , Jose Medeles , Mando Lopez Todd the Fox...
) and recorded a perfectly off-the-wall pop masterpiece – ‘The Phantom Forest’ (due for release in March 2011).
'Please Don’t Take Him Back' was the debut single from the album (released in October 2010) on the UK label Fortuna Pop!
Fortuna Pop!
Fortuna Pop! is a British independent record label based in London, started in 1996 by Sean Price. It specialises in indie pop and indie rock music, released on 7" single, CD and vinyl....
, home to The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are an indie pop band from New York City. Their first album was a self-released EP which came out in 2007 through the Painbow label. Their debut self-titled full length album was released on February 3, 2009 via Slumberland Records. The band name comes from an...
and the Pipettes
The Pipettes
The Pipettes are a British indie pop girl group formed in 2003 in Brighton by "svengali" Robert "Monster Bobby" Barry. The group has released two albums, We Are the Pipettes, and Earth vs...
. As well as being playlisted on BBC 6 Music, the track received airplay on Radio 1 and XFM, and was reviewed in NME, Vice, Artrocker, Clash Magazine, and many more online.
A free download single 'A Train Wreck' was released in December and 'When Will I Be Queen' is scheduled for March, as well as more tour dates, including a European tour in April/May.
As well as touring extensively in the UK, the band completed a 16-date tour of the US in 2008, taking in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Grand Rapids, St Louis and Pittsburgh. They have previously played at Sweden's art-rock noise-pop festival Emmaboda
Emmaboda
-Geography:Emmaboda is located in the middle of the Tri-City Region Växjö, Kalmar and Karlskrona. All three places are sixty kilometers from Emmaboda.-Culture:...
; where they played alongside Kaito
Kaito
Kaito or Kaitō is most commonly a Japanese given name, and may refer to:In music:* KaitO, an independent rock band from the United KingdomAs a Japanese male given name, it may be written in numerous ways, for example as:...
and Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
.
Charlene and Joe of Bearsuit also play in Tell Me How. Members have previously played in the Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree
The Polyphonic Spree is a choral symphonic pop rock band from Dallas, Texas that was formed in 2000 by Tim DeLaughter. The band's sound relies on a variety of vocal and instrumental color by featuring a choir, flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, percussion, piano, guitars, bass, drums,...
, Cruiser Chimps, Evader, Keytarded, Hyper Kinako, The Bavarian Rocket Group, Velvia and The Aprons.
Bearsuit have previously played various festivals including Latitude, Bestival, The Great Escape and Offset, as well as several abroad including SXSW, Emmaboda (Sweden) and CMJ in New York, where they were voted ‘Best Breakthrough Act’ in a New York Times poll of badge-holders and received shining reviews, including Pitchfork.
The band have also supported the likes of Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles (band)
Crystal Castles are an experimental electronic band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of producer Ethan Kath and lyricist and vocalist Alice Glass. Crystal Castles are known for their chaotic live shows and their lo-fi home productions. The duo released many limited EPs between 2006 and...
, Melt Banana, Future of the Left
Future of the Left
Future of the Left are an alternative rock group based in Cardiff, Wales.- Beginnings :Future of the Left were formed by singer/guitarist Andy "Falco" Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone, both previously of Cardiff band mclusky, alongside singer/bassist Kelson Mathias, formerly of the...
, Lightspeed Champion
Lightspeed Champion
Devonté Hynes , better known as Lightspeed Champion or Blood Orange, is a British composer, songwriter, producer and author, who has written for artists such as Florence and the Machine, Diana Vickers and The Chemical Brothers on their 2007 Grammy award winning album We Are The Night...
and Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
.
They have previously released records on Fantastic Plastic Records
Fantastic Plastic Records
Fantastic Plastic Records is a London based record label. It was independent until 15 June 2007 when the Sanctuary Group was bought by the Universal Music Group.-Current artists:* Bearsuit* Bricolage* Guillemots* Luke Haines* New Cassettes* Oppenheimer...
(Ash, Ikara Colt, Futureheads, The Guillemots), Happy Happy Birthday To Me (US) (Bunnygrunt, Lovely Eggs, Hotpants Romance) and Micro Indie (US) (Sodastream, The Universe, The Icicles).
The band have been championed by BBC radio DJs including John Peel, Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq
Steve Lamacq , sometimes known by his nicknames Lammo or "The Cat" is an English disc jockey, currently working with the BBC radio stations BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio 2.-Early career:He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire...
, Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens
Huw Stephens is a radio presenter currently broadcasting shows on BBC Radio 1.-Early life and career:Stephens was born in Cardiff, Wales, the son of the author and literary journalist Meic Stephens...
, Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
, Rob Da Bank
Rob da Bank
Robert John Gorham, known by the pseudonym Rob da Bank, is a British disc jockey. He presents a Friday-night/Saturday-morning show, Rob da Bank, on BBC Radio 1 from 5am-7am, focused on promoting new left field music...
, Phill Jupitus
Phill Jupitus
Phillip Christopher Jupitus is an English stand-up and improvised comedian, actor, performance poet, musician and podcaster....
, Marc Riley
Marc Riley
Marc Riley is a British musician, alternative rock critic and radio DJ on BBC 6 Music. Formerly a member of The Fall, he had his own record label, In-Tape, and also worked as a record plugger...
, Tom Ravenscroft
Tom Ravenscroft
Thomas James Dalglish Ravenscroft is a radio presenter. He is the son of the late Radio 1 DJ John Peel.He currently presents Global Soundtracks, an experimental music podcast and the Friday 9pm-midnight slot on BBC 6 Music, having previously sat in for other DJs on the station, including Tom...
, Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
, Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
, Gideon Coe
Gideon Coe
Gideon "The Guv'nor" Coe is a radio DJ, presenter, sportscaster, voiceover artist and journalist.Coe was one of the child presenters of the BBC 1 children's programme "Why Don't You?"....
and John Kennedy
John Kennedy (DJ)
John Kennedy, is a DJ who presents Xposure on XFM, between 10pm and 2am Monday-Thursdays. He is the only DJ to have been with XFM constantly since its inception and the show is the longest running of all of the specialist shows John Kennedy, is a DJ who presents Xposure on XFM, between 10pm and 2am...
on XFM.
Accolades include scooping 'Vinyl of the Week' in the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, 'Pick of the Week' in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and 'Album of the Fortnight' in Artrocker
Artrocker magazine
Artrocker magazine is an independent monthly publication, concentrating on music and modern culture, that is available across the United Kingdom. Though stocked in larger branches of newsagents, its main availability is in music stores. The magazine started life as a weekly email newsletter before...
.
Current members
- Lisa Horton — keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals, - Charlene Katuwawala — bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Joe Naylor — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, vocals - Jan Robertson — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboards, vocals - Iain Ross — guitar, keys, vocals
Past members
- Emma Belka - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(until 2001) - Cerian Hutchings (née Hamer) — cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, keyboards, vocals, piano, percussion - Matt Hutchings — drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(until 2008) - Matt Moss — bass (until 2004) (also a member of Lethargic Pigeon and The Rebeccas)
- Richard Squires — bass, guitar, vocals (until 2008)
Albums
- Cat Spectacular!Cat Spectacular!Cat Spectacular!, released May 2004, is the debut album by indie pop band Bearsuit.-Track listing:# "Welcome Bearsuit Space hotel" – 2:04# "Cookie Oh Jesus" – 2:57# "Rodent Disco" – 2:08# "Cherryade" – 2:57...
(Fortuna Pop!Fortuna Pop!Fortuna Pop! is a British independent record label based in London, started in 1996 by Sean Price. It specialises in indie pop and indie rock music, released on 7" single, CD and vinyl....
, Microindie 2004) - Team Ping Pong (Fantastic Plastic, 2005)
- oh:io (Fantastic Plastic, Happy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me RecordsHappy Happy Birthday To Me Records is an American independent record label based in Athens, Georgia, whose catalogue is rather heavily weighted towards twee indie pop music, with several of its bands being related to or influenced by The Elephant 6 Recording Company...
2007) - The Phantom Forest (Fortuna Pop!Fortuna Pop!Fortuna Pop! is a British independent record label based in London, started in 1996 by Sean Price. It specialises in indie pop and indie rock music, released on 7" single, CD and vinyl....
, 2011)
Singles
- "Hey Charlie Hey Chuck" (Sickroom GC, 2001)
- "Drinkink" (Sickroom GC, 2002)
- "Stop What You're Doing What You're Doing Is Wrong" (Sickroom GC, 2002)
- "Itsuko Got Married" (Bearslut recordings, 2003)
- "The Bearsuit Jesus Will Spear You Through The Heart" EP (Fortuna Pop!, 2003)
- "Chargr!" (Fortuna POP!, 2004)
- "Steven Fucking Spielberg" (Fantastic Plastic, 2006)
- "More Soul Than Wigan Casino" (Fantastic Plastic, 2007) #24 UK Indie
- "Foxy Boxer" (Fantastic Plastic, 2007) #13 UK Indie
- "Pushover" (Fantastic Plastic, 2008)
- "Musclebelt" (Fantastic Plastic, 2009)
- "Please Don't Take Him Back" (Fortuna POP!, 2010)
- "A Train Wreck" (free digital download to mailing list, Fortuna Pop!, 2010)
- "When Will I Be Queen" (Fortuna Pop!, 2011)
Compilations
- The Gazumper (Sickroom GC, 2001)
- "Snowshoe" on Should you be singing Christmas songs? (Happy Capitalist, 2001)
- "Come Around" on GoJonnyGoGoGoGo (2001)
- "Drinkink" on Blip Anomaly (Sickroom GC, 2001)
- "Poor Prince Neal" on GoJonnyGoGoGoGo2 (2002)
- "Little Donkey" on A Christmas Gift from Fortuna Pop! (Fortuna POP!, 2002)
- "On Your Special Day" on I'm With Cupid (WIAIWYA records, 2004)
- "Rodent Disco" on GoJonnyGoGoGoGo Favourites #1 (2005)
- edited version of "Rodent Disco" on Que Viva le Pop! (Elefant Records/Fortuna POP!, 2006)
- "Itsuko Got Married" on Kat's Karavan: The History of John Peel on the Radio' (Universal Music, 2009)