Bear Tone

Extra Bonus Episode!  Here are some extra convo time with our friends The Royal Halls where we discuss guilty pleasures.  We hope you enjoy this Quick Hit!

Alt Country band The Royals Halls joins us for a conversation around there new record "Center of the Frame".  We caught up with them to discuss how the record was made and other very entertaining topics!  

Quick Hits is a short form version of our regular podcast (Bear Tone).  These are episodes geared toward talking about one song and then playing the tune in its entirety at the end of the show.  It's a lot of fun!  This episode is with Ian Zumback as we discuss his latest single, an Iron Maiden cover called "Wasted Years". It's awesome! 

"The Trees Community was a collective of musicians seeking to work out their faith through musical expression and communal living for seven years in the 1970s. Initially meeting in a Manhattan loft, they were a group of young people searching for God but not even sure who or what they would find.   In 1971, having been mentored some in Christianity, the five members loaded up a bus with 10 people, 2 cats, and 80 musical instruments and began the "pilgrimage to nowhere". For the next 6 years they toured the US and Canada sharing their music.    Only one formal album exists of their music: 1975's The Christ Tree. This album showcases the band's style as both experimental and experiential. Ethereal voices and complex avant-garde arrangements of ancient sounding folk music are the hallmark of the Trees Community sound.    Over the decades this recording has garnered a ton of indie credibility, being referred to as an influence of the Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. The original vinyl pressings of The Christ Tree are rare and are purchased by collectors for hundreds of dollars. 

Old Bear Records released a new album by artist Roemer as a follow up to his critically acclaimed EP, "Straight Bars and Guns." "I Fly Solo" is a nine song full length album engineered, mixed, and mastered by Ljudevit Ivic at Funkhaus in Berlin, Germany.  This beautiful and haunting collection of songs were written and performed by Roemer.  Topics ranging from friendship, love, chaos, and time are undergirded by Roemer's distinct and recognizable voice dancing over the dynamic and at times dissonant chord phrases that make up Roemer's unique sound.  We know you're going to love this new album as much as we do.  We caught up with him to discuss his new release.  Enjoy!

Philadelphia resident and Old Bear Records newcomer Ryan Anderson AKA Opal Hush is punching above his weight class and giving Rocky Balboa a run for his money. Remote Viewer is poetic and cinematic while invoking a sacred imagination that will meet you new each time whether listening on vinyl by the fireplace with a whiskey or in the car making a last minute grocery run with the kids after school. Each listen through confronts you with making decisions as to whether focus on the lyrics which sits seductively almost behind the music or raptured up in to the worlds that Opal Hush is sonically creating. It's safe to say that this album will meet you where you are but it will sound different every time.

Old Bear Records reissued the self titled debut album by atmospheric instrumental rock band, All The Bright Lights on vinyl to commemorate the ten year anniversary of its original release.  All The Bright Lights was a North Carolina based trio that quickly made a name for themselves with alt rock and indie fans due to their unique brand of melodic swirling guitars, brooding arrangements, sonic patchwork, and a masterful approach to writing and performing instrumental music that cuts right to the heart.  Members James Duke, Jon Duke, and Jacob Arnold’s musical chemistry is still ear candy for the music lover and we simply couldn’t be more excited to add this release to our growing instrumental Old Bear catalog.  All the Bright Lights’ debut album will be a delight for fans of the Cure, the Smiths, Radiohead, Swervedriver, and Arcade Fire.   

Roemer is based in Berlin, Germany and came to Old Bear Studios in 2019 to record a 5 song EP produced by Old Bear producer, Chris Hoisington.  The project is unlike any project we’ve recorded or released before as its direction and expression finds its bearings as songs of protest and social commentary ranging in topics from firearms, the dark side of grace, staying hopeful when the chips are down, alcoholism, and more.  Roemer’s unique, sobering lyrics, and deep faith roots combined with a folk aesthetic and unique layered sounds which include grenade pins hitting the floor and gunfire make for an equally unnerving and hypnotizing listening experience.  We simply can’t categorize this guy.   Be sure to check out his music here...  http://smarturl.it/sf41e3 

What happens when you mix the experimental production of Old Bear Records producer, Chris Hoisington with the Old Bear Session Squad and an award winning science fiction author?  You get “Welcome Up” by Paul Levinson, that’s what!  We can honestly say, we’ve never done a project like this and we are really proud of the results of this artistic collaboration with Paul!   Chris Hoisington knew of Paul from his 1972 album release “Twice upon a rhyme” that has since been reissued four times (once in Japan and once in South Korea!)  Chris felt that Old Bear could make a great album with Paul that combined Paul’s penchant for all things science fiction with Paul’s natural musical bents towards sunshine-pop and psychedelic folk-rock.  We believe Chris was right! “Welcome Up” is a collection of eight songs that beam you up into a creative galaxy where you take on the persona of an astronaut exploring sonic spaces that at times are reminiscent of The Beach Boys on tracks like “Welcome Up” and “Tau Ceti;” and at other times can feel like the MC5 being shot out of a ray gun on tracks like “Samantha.“

'Uncle Bobby's Record' is a private press gem from folk artist Bob Gebelein. Put this record on the turntable and you'll be transported to a Greenwich village coffee house in the era of Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan. As Bob was working on the album, his neices began referring to it as 'Uncle Bobby's Record' and thus it received its title.   While the sound is endearing in its stripped down approach, deeper listening to his societal commentary on a song like 'Civilized Blues' reveals a surprisingly punk kind of edge. Uncle Bobby is to be taken more seriously than you thought when initially hearing his quaint folky strumming. Uncle Bobby doesn't care what you think, he's just being himself.   Discussions with Colombia Records never panned out for Bob, but listening to this album it isn't difficult to imagine a parallel universe in which he ended up on the 60's folk Mount Rushmore.

In the mid 1990's the Seattle based band Soulfood 76 was one of the most eclectic and forward thinking bands in the alt-christian underground. Their bold experimental guitars, in-your-face rhythm section, and vulnerably idiosyncratic lead vocals garnered them a dedicated indie following. Modern ears hearing the psychadelic power funk sound of SF76's 1996 release 'Original Soundtrack' for the first time will be pleasantly surprised at how well this album coexists sonically alongside bands like The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, and The Black Keys. It's difficult to pin them down on one particular sound, however. Dial up the racous fuzzed-out bass line on 'Zebra 3' followed by the the falsetto chill track 'Huggy Bear', or the tender faux closing track 'Purple' and you'll see that this band has a lot of influences and the versatility to pull off a lot. At Old Bear Reissued we are pleased to be releasing 'Original Soundtrack' for the first ever time on vinyl in our gorgeous special edition packaging. Whether you've been a fan since seeing them at a festival 25 years ago or you've just heard of them today, we think this album will blow you away and is a must-have for your vinyl collection!

In this latest episode of the Bear Tone Podcast we do a deep dive on Old Bear's latest reissue: Star Wars tribute band Twin Sister. A long time ago in a garage far away... Some friends from different bands started trading punk and funk riffs back and forth and somebody told Todd Fadel to step up to the mic and sing something over it. And all he could think of where Boba Fett lines! This 'rebel scum' explosion of fun gave kids at their shows permission to not take themselves so seriously and Twin Sister soon became the hottest act in Portland's mid-90s Alt Christian scene. Frontman Todd Fadel is here to tell the story as well as Bradley Swanson, who is a curator for that particular music scene (check out the BandCamp page 'The Corral On Spin Cycle' to explore a really cool era). As always, our Bear Tone hosts Anthony Hoisington and Lukas Iverson are the 'scruffy looking nerf herders' at the helm of the pod.

Old Bear Artist Jonas Woods is a singer songwriter from New England.  His sound covers multiple styles and musical landscapes.  We had a chance to chat about life, music, art, family and the making of the "Whispers" record.  We hope you enjoy this episode.  

Legend Ozora is a worship leader from Minnesota with a heart for the local and global church and a soul much older than her 18 years. Old Bear Records is proud to introduce you to her. Legend’s tender vibrato sits perfectly amid an ethereal vocal soundscape on each song she sings. In this episode we talk about the decisions to produce her songs using the human voice as the primary instrument.  Grab her new EP "Come Close" available now!!

Old Bear Records is branching out into exciting new territory in 2019 as we begin reissuing some of our favorite retro indie music! Certain bands and artists over the years released some incredible albums that maybe didn't get the promo or attention they deserved, and we want to help more people discover them. Some of these records have a ton of indie credibility but haven't been easy to get your hands on - until now! Plans are in place to re-issue 4 classic albums on vinyl this year by artists like All Saved Freak Band, The Trees Community, Twin Sister (Three words: Star. Wars. Grunge.), and James Duke's All the Bright Lights. Check out this brief episode of the pod for previews and more of the heart behind the reissue endeavor from Chris.

Here we are, the end of season one of The Bear Tone Podcast!  Ten episodes that give you insight into what Old Bear Records is all about.  Recording session stories, details about songs and many, many other fun behind the scenes Old Bear Records folk lore tales.  Here it is the final episode of season one recapping our adventure this year. Thanks for coming on the journey with us! See you again in season two. 

Old Bear Records recently invited recording artist, Weston Skaggs to join hosts Lukas Iverson and Anthony Hoisington on the newest episode of Bear Tone Podcast.  Together, they discuss what it was like to be the first artist to record with Old Bear; who some of the influences that shaped his sound were; how to keep things festive while recording a Christmas album during the summer; how a rare organ found on the side of the road became the main instrument on Weston’s album; and more!  Get to know Weston through this new episode of Bear Tone!

Old Bear releases one of our favorite Bear Tone podcast interviews to date with our good friend, Ed Chilungu.  Ed talks about his first time meeting Anthony; Pappy McClurg’s influence on his life; how listening to a jazz album led Ed into his first experience in Christian worship; his struggle with mental illness; what he thinks of Thelonious Monk’s musicianship; his inspiration behind some of the songs on his new album “Soundtracks” and much more.   As you’ll hear in the interview- we had a lot of fun with Ed and shared some very honest and vulnerable moments together.   Don’t miss  this episode of Bear Tone Podcast out today!

This bonus episode is some extra content that we put together from our interview with Ryan Clair.  We hope you enjoy it!  As always please subscribe to hear more of our podcasts and be notified when future episodes become available.   

In this episode we interview Old Bear Records producer Chris Hoisington. Chris has produced just about every Old Bear Records project to date. Lukas sat down with Chris to discuss the culture of Old Bear Records and the progression of music as he sees it.  

Nashville, TN, singer/songwriter Ian Zumback is a quiet person with an important message. When you listen to his music you get a sense that he is on a unique mission.  “The Table” is a record that explores everything from redemption (Murderer A Messenger), to the story of the Good Samaritan in the opening track (Down in my Soul). The latter of which boasts the daring line “A clergy man just passed me by and said ‘son I’m late for service time, and if I wasn’t in such a rush I’d come and get you out.'”   So go ahead and check it out. Get your copy of “The Table” now!

Every once and a while an artist comes along that reminds us of a sound and style from our musical heritage. Often that sound and style has been off of our radar for so long that we have neglected and maybe even forgotten it. Then, we encounter an artist that sings in the sound, and writes in that style, and they remind us of why we need to go back to that era and rediscover our roots!  Meet Eric Lee Brumley.  Eric is unlike any artist we've ever worked with.  Musically, Eric has deep roots in Delta Blues and Gospel Soul.  Lyrically, Eric being a former addict and finding freedom from his past addictions through his faith in Jesus, is a living testament of the power of Jesus that breaks the chains that hold us back from living our best life possible. Eric wants you to know that he's serious about the freedom he has found with every lyric he sings.  His faith is not a passive faith.  It is a fiery, take the bull by the horns, practical life-application kind of faith based on the words written in red in the Good Book! Vocally, Eric reminds us of Mavis Staples mixed with Keith Green. Just let that settle in for a minute!   "Deliver Us From Evil," his first single from his upcoming full-length album released by Old Bear Records is out today!  The single is available for pre-order at iTunes now, and we can't wait for you to hear it!

In our very first Bear Tone episode we interview Anthony Hoisington.  Anthony is a member of Brothers McClurg as well as the president of Old Bear Records.  We sat down and discussed life, how Old Bear Records began and the journey that has brought so much great music. We hope you enjoy!