Hunting Bears

Hunting Bears bring a change of pace with their earnest melodies and intricately layered sounds. 'Holes In Your New Shoes' is absolutely majestic with its subtle lyrics and interwoven vocals making a massive emotional impact on all those watching. Despite their tender years they prove to be absolute masters of the loud/soft dynamic and are competent on a whole plethora of instruments which allows them to be understated but not boring. The whole effect of the set is mesmerising and the band are clearly enjoying themselves as much as the enthralled onlookers. Most definitely a local act to catch live.
- Leeds Music Scene

It’s always important to remember that the words ‘alternative folk’ don’t necessarily mean that a band is going to sound like Noah and the Whale or Mumford & Sons. Happily Hunting Bears, a five piece band from Leeds, remind us of this in good style on their new EP So Long. With stunning melodies, exciting rhythms and captivating lyrics, these tracks will keep you absorbed from beginning to end.
The first track on the EP ‘Heavy Tree’, a live recording, moves through melodic strings to an upbeat waltz without ever distracting your attention from the flow of the song. The lines of the chorus are beautifully sung, and dripped with melancholy.
Following ‘Heavy Tree’, ‘Mother City’ is a great showcase of what a group of voices can do and the vocal and instrumental melodies for the most part cross over each other superbly.
Third track ‘I Love You, Now Leave’ is a soft, almost angelic song. The lead vocals are stunning and the control the singer has over the melody is genuinely impressive. The main vocal is layered with harmonic backing vocals and various stringed instruments creating a stunning track.
Beautiful vocal melodies coupled with moving harmonies are present on all four tracks, but the elegance of the ‘Holes in Your New Shoes’ with its simple accompaniment, is particularly moving. The lyrics are intriguing and the whole song seems to creep up to a brilliant climax ending the EP with real class.
All in all 'So Long' is definitely worth a listen. It has great lyrics, graceful instrumental melodies and incredible vocal harmonies.
- Croon