Hunter & The Bear

Self-described as Americana and Blues, Hunter & The Bear (H&TB) have slowly collected a strong following of fans, from their home country of the United Kingdom to here in the U.S. and clear into France and Spain. But what separates Hunter & The Bear from other bands? Aside from their bangin’ beards and rustic look, H&TB have got the tunes to make your soul melt. “We're influenced by so many people as individuals,” stated Will, the lead singer. “Personally, I’m a huge fan of older rock music like Led Zeppelin and Dire Straits.” From their own personal influences, to their overall sound of a different type of rock music, H&TB has a little of everything for everyone to enjoy.

When Hunter & The Bear first began, it was only Will Irvine (vocals) and Jimmy Hunter (guitar) playing together as a duo. “I had just finished university and Jimmy had just quit his job in the city,” Will explained, “We had played together a little bit previously, and Jimmy taught me to play the guitar.” However, it wasn’t until they decided to take a crack at writing their own tunes when it became clear to them both that they could take this music gig seriously. “It was a scary move,” Will recalled of the time they both packed up and moved from northwest Scotland to the bustling city of London.

Hunter & The Bear released their first EP Dusty Road in 2013, with their lead single “Forest On The Hill” while rounding out their full band line-up with Chris Clark on bass and Gareth Thompson on drums. In 2014 H&TB released their second EP Before I Come Home, which had garnered enough of a following for them that they headed out on their first headline tour around the U.K.“It was honestly one of the best things I’ve done,” Will explained about his trip on tour. Later that summer, they hit the road to partake in various festivals around England and even landed an opening slot on Eric Clapton’s show at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. “[Clapton fans are] not into him because he’s sexy, even though at some point I’m sure he was.” Will said in an interview with Ed Condran. “It was encouraging because Clapton fans are music fans.” The band was so well received that night that many fans missed part of Clapton’s show just to meet H&TB! In 2015, H&TB released their third EP Wildfire and embarked on yet another tour in the spring. “We’re lucky in that we actually enjoy spending time with each other. You end up like a little family. You're in such close proximity all the time so there will always be times

when you step on each other's toes but those moments are pretty rare with us, which is nice.” Will explained.

Touring from city to city and even from country to country, Hunter & The Bear are making a name for themselves. “All we really want is for people to enjoy what we do. We love playing live so if we can get people excited about that then we've done our job,” expressed Will. However, that doesn’t mean they’ve found the direct key to success. “I think regardless of what you're trying to succeed in, you have to be driven and motivated. You have to be willing to put in the time and hard graft to reach your goals.” Hunter & The Bear are currently finishing up their last few tours of the year before they head out again in 2016 on a whole new leg of gigs. Be sure to keep an eye for H&TB and pick up a copy of their EP Wildfire on iTunes now!