New Music Alert: Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear brings The Harlequin Dream Tour from Sydney to Toronto and Canadian fans can’t get enough.

For Australian indie folk-rock band Boy & Bear, touring in North America has been something they have been looking forward to for quite some time. They played their first show on Canadian soil in Montreal before heading to Toronto to take the stage at the Phoenix Concert Theatre on March 28, where they played a sold-out show for a group of excited fans.

With the release of their sophomore album, Harlequin Dream, they’ve been touring on the road nonstop.  They spent most of their time travelling and recording around the world for their first record back in 2011, but they took a different approach for Harlequin Dream. “We recorded locally the second time around and it was a much different experience,” says the band’s front man Dave Hosking. “I think we managed the second time to get more of the band’s personality across.”

The album features pop-infused folk tracks, such as their hit single “Southern Sun,” as well as songs with a moodier rock sound. “Lyrically, it can be quite dark and it has a bit of an edge,” says Dave. “I like the idea of it being caught somewhere between a beautiful dream and a little bit of a nightmare, the two coming together.”

Made up of Dave, Killian Gavin, Dave Symes, Tim Hart and Jon Hart, Dave says their group dynamic is “probably as good as it’s ever been.” They met during university and have become so much closer since then. “We’re all very different and I think we really love that about each other,” he says. “It’s nice to travel the world playing music with your best mates.”

Dave shared some words of advice for aspiring musicians. “I think it’s all about the songs. So many bands get caught up in trying to find management and labels,” he says. “Write songs and listen to the best musicians over the last 50 years and surround yourself by them, even if you don’t necessarily love what they’re doing. Learn from them. The other things will start to follow if you’re writing good songs.”