Bear Ghost is an American eclectic rock rock band from Mesa, Arizona. The band's sound has been described as a mix of prog rock, indie rock, punk, hip hop, metal, and electronica.[4] Since their formation in 2010, Bear Ghost has released two studio albums, two live albums, a Christmas EP, and three singles.[5] [6]
History[]
Early Years (2010-2013)[]
The Gang Baby & Friends
Bear Ghost was formed in November 2010 by Ryan Abel (guitar, vocals), Andrew Heath (bass), Jeungri Hori (drums), and Thomas Knight (guitar, vocals, keyboard).
In an interview with Euromerica Radio, the band stated that Abel had reached out to Knight in order to form a new group after their band We Are They disbanded. After jamming together in Abel's parents' garage and writing an instrumental version of "D.O.T.A.B." (Death of the Analytical Brain), Knight moved to Phoenix, AZ to form the band.
In the same interview, the band shared the story behind how they came up with the name. During a trip to Disneyland, Abel, Heath, and Hori were brainstorming possible monikers for the new project. Abel stated he liked the word "ghost" and wanted to use it in the name. Heath stated he liked the word "bear." Hori suggested, "Why not Bear Ghost?" When texted for his input, Knight said he didn't like it, but the name eventually grew on him. The band also stated that many close friends and peers hated the name and pleaded with the group to choose something else.[7]
On July 23rd, 2011, Bear Ghost played their very first show at Joe's Grotto, a now-defunct venue in Phoenix.[8] In early 2012, the band produced their first demo The Gang Baby & Friends, booking time at Toxic Recording in Phoenix to track drums and guitars. Vocals and additional layers were later recorded by Abel and Knight at Band Oasis Rehearsal Studio in Mesa.[9]
Your Parents Are Only Marginally Disappointed In Your Musical Taste (2013-2015)[]
Your Parents Are Only Marginally Disappointed In Your Musical Taste
In 2013, Jeungri Hori left the band. After placing an ad on Craigslist and holding auditions, her position was filled by Michael "Buttonz" Roa, former drummer for the pop-punk group, Miles To Nowhere.
In 2014, the band began raising money through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Knight wrote and recorded a promotional song called "The Kickstarter Song" to encourage fans to invest in their new CD.[10][11] While writing their bio, Knight named the new record "Professionally Recorded Bear Ghost Extended Play: Mom And Dad Are Only Marginally Disappointed In Your Musical Taste Edition," as a joke, however the band liked it. On April 18, 2014, Bear Ghost released their first EP, Your Parents Are Only Marginally Disappointed In Your Musical Taste.
To promote the EP, Knight pushed the band to submit "Beware!" to a local radio contest held by 98KUPD. Bear Ghost played with other contestants at Copper Blues in Tempe and won 2nd place on November 25, 2014.[12] In late 2015, Bear Ghost entered again and submitted "Necromancin' Dancin'" to promote their upcoming album Blasterpiece. The band played at the Tempe Improv and was awarded 1st place on November 25, 2015.[13] The band was also asked to write a new theme song for Holmberg's Morning Sickness, which the hosts played every morning throughout the following year.[14]
Jiminy (2020 - 2023)[]
In 2020, Bear Ghost began to write and record a new album releasing the singles "Sirens" in January and "Big Town Banky Blaine's Rockabilly Barbecue" on Christmas Day. According to Heath via the band's official Discord, recording stalled repeatedly due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Abel's newborn child taking up much of his time. In 2023, the band released a third single titled "Rivers is a Vampire."
On July 28th of 2023, the band dropped an image into their Discord server hinting at the release date of their next album, “Jiminy”. Three days later, they shared the new album’s cover art and confirmed that it would be releasing worldwide on September 22nd of the same year.
Band Members[]
|
Current members
|
Former members
|
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- Blasterpiece (2016)
- Jiminy (2023)
Demo albums[]
- The Gang Baby & Friends (2012)[15]
Extended plays[]
- Your Parents Are Only Marginally Disappointed In Your Musical Taste (2014)
- Invited To The Christmas Party By Mistake (2020)
Singles[]
- "Haunt, The Cartoon Heart" (2019)
- "Sirens" (2020)
- "Big Town Banky Blaine's Rockabilly BBQ" (2020)
- "Rivers Is A Vampire" (2023)
- "BlackBoxWarrior - Okultra" (2025)
Awards[]
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | Publication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Blasterpiece | Album of the Year | Won | Phoenix New Times[16] |
| 2017 | Blasterpiece | Best Genre-Bender | Won | YabYum Music + Arts[17] |
References[]
- ↑ (in en) WE ARE THEY Rock FlashRock Music Video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgCz9P9roFM, retrieved 2022-04-06
- ↑ D'Andrea, Niki. Local Metal Band Hellen's Song, "Pony" (en).
- ↑ The Sillesh: Unreleased Demos (2007 - 2009), by The Sillesh (en).
- ↑ Hillman, Mitchell. Bear Ghost | Blasterpiece – JAVA (en-US).
- ↑ Bear Ghost (en).
- ↑ Flanders-themed metal band Okilly Dokilly shine in 'Simpsons' debut (en-US) (2019-04-08).
- ↑ Mixcloud.
- ↑ (in en) Bear Ghost - Ego-Construction (Newson) [Joe's Grotto 7-23-11], https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4k08igRIE, retrieved 2022-04-07
- ↑ The Gang Baby & Friends, by Bear Ghost (en).
- ↑ (in en) Bear Ghost - Behind The Scenes: The Kickstarter Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onJsdgmFy1k, retrieved 2022-04-09
- ↑ The Kickstarter Song, by Thomas Knight (en).
- ↑ (in en) Bear Ghost - Live at #Playdio 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE6PKcENMJQ, retrieved 2022-04-12
- ↑ (in en) Bear Ghost - Live at #Playdio 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12vwQsoEQB4, retrieved 2022-04-12
- ↑ (in en) Holmberg's Morning Sickness Theme - Bear Ghost, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZQDxkHvPIg, retrieved 2022-04-12
- ↑ The Gang Baby & Friends, by Bear Ghost (en).
- ↑ Hillman, Mitchell. The 40 Best Albums by Phoenix Bands in 2016, Part Two (en).
- ↑ Best Genre-Bender: Bear Ghost | YabYum Music & Arts (en-US) (2017-01-09).