The Bear
The Bear is the brainchild of Louisa Murray and Nathan Pitts. Based in the Shoals area of North Alabama, they began The Bear as a duo, but gradually added an ensemble of multi-instrumentalists. Kyle Minckler, Ben Stedman, Daniel Stoddard, and Ben Tanner accompany Murray and Pitts, rotating on drums, upright and electric basses, guitar, pedal steel, banjo, ukulele, flute, and a variety of keyboards and percussion instruments. The result is a widely varied sound that is difficult to pigeonhole but consistently surprising and exciting.
The band’s sophomore album, Overseas Then Under, was recorded primarily at home, giving them unprecedented freedom to experiment and explore new sonic landscapes without the pressures of a ticking studio clock. The result is a striking blend of genres and styles, but the two singers’ voices and songs remain firmly at the center, exploring Southern tales that range from childlike innocence to murderous disillusionment.
