Biography
Be The Bear is the baby of Danish/English vocalist Christina Wehage and Swedish music producer Mattias Bolin. The duo met in Gothenburg in the summer of 2009. They released their debut EP “Fireships” in the winter of 2011, following it up with the single “Bad Things” which instantly topped the iTunes charts in Sweden. Their most recent release is the single “Coffee Kids”.
“If the pop music industry in the UK has any respect for itself, it will be hailed like ‘Gotye’ or ‘Fun’. Niki and the Dove might be the latest cover story for Scandinavian pop, but that may soon shift to highlight Be The Bear and rightfully so” 5/5
- Samuel Litherland, Born Music UK
“Scandinavia once again proves to be a musical paradise … the voice of the singer seems to swim in places recalling the best achievements of Bjork, or the charismatic voice of Florence Welch. Being among the first (musical) pioneers to discover the band gives us good reason to feel proud.”
- Music Is, Poland
“Be The Bear’s tasty brand of electro pop had me hooked on my very first listen. Her voice slays me.”
- Syffal, USA
“Be The Bear have just released their latest EP entitled Fireships, with which they are seeking to position themselves as one of the most exciting duos in recent years from this region of the world … A mixture of sticky sweet electropop and acoustic elements that make this pair stand next to other acts like The Knife or iamamiwhoami, only Be The Bear contains color grades much higher.”
- Indietheka, Spain
“I feel like there are no words to describe some songs. I feel like serenity and sincerity can join our souls through music. I feel like Be The Bear is one of few acts that really knows how to do that, so simple and pure. Listen to the lyrics, listen to Christina’s voice, and if you’re lucky you’ll understand what I’m saying. 5/5″
- Play My Tape, Portugal
DISCOGRAPHY
Be The Bear released their first unsigned recording entitled ‘My New Glow’ on April 1, 2011 – Christina’s 26th birthday. The single features the song “My New Glow” and a re-recorded, partially re-written version of “Heart On A Line”.
Six months before its inclusion on this single, the band recorded an earlier version of the track ‘Heart on a line’ which was chosen as the soundtrack to the SAAB 9-4X commercial, and in just a few days was seen by thousands of listeners on YouTube.
The single was recorded at the Gothenburg music studio Loud Attic.
Their cover version of the Swedish Folksong “Barfotavisan” by Mats Paulson is currently being aired on Swedish national television in a commercial for the florist chain Blomsterlandet, running for the second summer in a row.
In October 2011 the band donated their song “Heart On A Line” to the Swedish charity organisation “Ung Cancer” (Young Cancer). The song was included on the “Det Är Okej Att Känna” (It’s OK To Feel) CD released on iTunes the 3rd of October 2011. The song was also featured in the short film “Det Är Okej Att Känna Hopp” (It’s OK To Feel Hope”), one out of five films in the campaign.
They released their debut EP “Fireships” in the winter of 2011, following it up with the single “Bad Things” which instantly topped the iTunes charts in Sweden. “Coffee Kids” is their most recent single. For more info about their releases and to listen to them, go to the music page.
The music is a mix of genres, with sounds ranging from acoustic guitars to rocky choruses, electronic dance beats, indie harmonies, marching-band percussion and orchestral elements such as strings, kettle drums, and Christina’s occassional operatic outbursts.
All of the band’s artwork is created by celebrated Vietnamese artist Khoa Le, who has had her own solo exhibition for over a year at the Daydreamer Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City. Her visuals for the band are based on concepts drawn from Christina’s lyrics.
