by emily harris
photo courtesy of bears in trees
Bears in Trees is a South London-based band destined to create music with a purpose. The four-piece just released their newest single, “It Gets Better,” a testament to their unique writing style. Cloning themselves as a indie-emo-ukulele pop band, their sound is as unique as their past albums and singles artworks. Callum, the vocals, ukulele, and keys of the band, talked with us about their newest release and the newest era of their music — entitled “Keep Me Safe!”
Congrats on the announcement of your newest single, “It Gets Better!” Can you tell us about the writing and recording process?
Callum: “Thanks so much! We wrote It Gets Better (and the singles that come after it) at the same time as we wrote I Want To Feel Chaotic. We wrote it in the same way we write most of our songs, Nick or Iain write the lyrics (in this case Nick) and then we all jam until we come up with a song that works! We also recorded both the EPs at the same time! We’re really lucky to be able to use a studio regularly so we are able to take our time recording and re-recording, adding bits and taking bits away until we get exactly what we’re looking for! We knew we wanted this track to feel like a bunch of friends playing a song around a campfire, so hopefully it gives off those vibes!”
This single does not shy away from suicide and the prospect of getting better. What do you hope fans gain from this release?
C: “We hope fans realize you can recontextualise a tragic event so it can become constructive and find hope within it.”
As it’s a very dynamic image, what was the inspiration for the single artwork of “It Gets Better?”
C: “We wanted an image that had a feeling of nature, tranquility and campfire-y aesthetics. We wanted not only the music but also the artwork to embody the feeling of sitting round a campfire and singing with your mates.”
This single follows your EP I Want to Feel Chaotic. Although it’s been a short amount of time since its release, what inspired you to release “It Gets Better” now?
C: “We always meant this era to be in two parts. We wrote all the songs at the same time and split them so that the second is an antidote to the first.”
You’re entitling this newest era as “Keep Me Safe.” Can you talk a little bit about the process of naming the era and what is to come out of it?
C: “We choose names based on lyrics that we best think encapsulate the overall theme of the song or era. IWTFC was about dealing with the darkest parts of yourself and relishing in personal instability, whereas Keep Me Safe is about trying to heal and dealing constructively with the themes of the previous era. We also thought that both eras come together to make a full sentence; I Want to Feel Chaotic, (so) Keep Me Safe.”
As Bears in Trees started as a passion project among friends, how has it been having a place within the music industry?
C: “We have always wanted to play in a band and regardless of whether Bears in Trees had been successful we would’ve continued to write and play together! After a couple of years together we realized how amazing it is to be in a band and if we could make Bears in Trees our full-time careers we would be four very happy boys!”
Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans, both new and old?
C: “Hello! If you’ve been here a long time, hey how’s it going? If you're new, stick around, have a listen, and stay for tea… it did wonders for me!”