Boy & Bear

Boy & Bear
Boy & Bear at Bluesfest Byron Bay 2015
Background information
Origin	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	Indie rock, folk rock, folk
Years active	2009 (2009)–present
Labels	Nettwerk, Island
Website	boyandbear.com
Members	Dave Hosking Killian Gavin Tim Hart Jon Hart Dave Symes
Past members	Jake Tarasenko

Boy & Bear is an Australian indie rock-folk music band formed in 2009, consisting of David Hosking (vocals and guitar), Killian Gavin (vocals and guitar), Tim Hart (drums and vocals), Jonathan Hart (vocals, banjo, mandolin and keyboards) and David Symes (bass). The band has released three albums, Moonfire (August 2011) and Harlequin Dream, (August 2013) both reaching the top ten of the Australian albums chart. Their third album, Limit of Love, was released on 9 October 2015, in Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada, and on 30 October in the UK and EU.

Boy & Bear was formed in 2009 in Sydney, beginning as a solo project for singer-songwriter Dave Hosking. In February 2009, Hosking uploaded a track, "The Storm", to the Unearthed program on radio station Triple J, and it became a featured song at the station. Hosking met Killian Gavin, who was a singer-songwriter and guitarist in Ovell, and the pair started jamming together. Tim Hart, from another university band, Wintersound, joined as a drummer and singer-songwriter. Then they expanded with Hart's brother Jon (ex-Wintersound) on keyboard, vocals, mandolin and banjo and Jake Tarasenko (ex-Tripartisan Approach) on bass guitar. All five had fronted their own groups and became friends after regularly sharing the stage at gigs. Their songwriting usually has Hosking strumming chords on a guitar, Gavin writing the hooks, and the Hart brothers providing backing vocal lyrics, keyboard parts and drum lines. On 21 October they issued an independent single, "Mexican Mavis", which was a featured song for the "Next Crop '09" segment on Triple J. In November 2009, the band described its style as "a combination of drivey indie folk and choral harmonies".

Aside from Triple J, the band received national airplay on NovaFM. The group signed with Island Records Australia and in 2013 they signed internationally with Nettwerk. After winning the 2009 Unearthed competition, they gained a performance spot at Homebake in December. They later toured Australia backing Angus and Julia Stone and Hungry Kids of Hungary. In 2010, they toured the UK supporting Laura Marling and Alessi's Ark, and later supported Mumford & Sons on their Australian tour. They also featured on Passenger's album 'Flight of the Crow'. In May Boy & Bear released their debut extended play, With Emperor Antarctica, which peaked at No. 63 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In 2010 they recorded the song "Fall at Your Feet" for He Will Have His Way, a tribute album to singer-songwriter brothers, Tim and Neil Finn. Boy & Bear's version of "Fall at Your Feet" was listed at No. 5 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2010. Another of their tracks, "Rabbit Song" was placed at No. 45. In November 2010 their cover of "Fall at Your Feet" peaked at No. 34 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In April 2011, their early single, "Mexican Mavis", was featured on US TV series, 90210, season three episode, "Nerdy Little Secrets".