London-based folk-rock trio Hunter & The Bear know that you have to strike while the iron is hot, and coming off of supporting artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Kasabian, the band is looking to lay hammer to anvil and watch as the sparks scatter in all directions. 2013 has been a very busy year for the band, as they’ve been working on their latest EP and are set to self-release their new single, “Forest On The Hill,” on September 29th. But the band — comprised of lead singer/guitarist Will Irvine (who also plays the kick drum), singer/guitarist Jimmy Hunter, and bassist Josh Abdelfatah — aren’t merely retracing the steps of bands like Band of Horses or The Lumineers. They’re taking the sounds of decades past and re-imagining them — weaving together strands of clear vocal harmonies (not unlike that of The Band), traditional folk rhythms, and a carefully attuned sense of spatial composition into something that recalls the best of the band’s influences while also pointing to some distant point in their own development.
On their upcoming single, “Forest On The Hill,” they load down a folk-y southern stomp with burly vocal harmonies and insistent acoustic instrumentation and put all thoughts of a second-run Mumford and Sons to rest. This is music best experienced on front porches, under the shade of magnolia trees with friends gathered closely around. For the David Spearing-directed video to “Forest On The Hill,” the band find themselves cutting out from the bustle of the city and exploring pastures, farms, and hills surrounded by wide open fields. The video and music work in tandem to create a musical and visual momentum that seems to carry the band along, leaving all exterior distractions by the roadside. It’s a perfect example of each medium servicing and elevating the other. When the video ends, you may find yourself with the urge to go exploring some wild and distant destination.
Beats Per Minute is pleased to premiere the video for “Forest On The Hill,” taken from Hunter & The Bear’s upcoming debut single of the same name.
