Indie band Minus the Bear preps for tour with new material
November 12, 2009 by SAM VEAL
Filed under Out & About
Minus the Bear, formed in Seattle in 2001 from the ashes of Kill Sadie, Sharks Keep Moving, and groundbreaking mathcore group Botch, offer a breed of experimental indie rock that is as movement-inducing as it is complex.
With its attention to sophisticated meter, the band’s sound has been classified as math-rock but also offers a flare of fun with finger-tapped guitars and loops.
MINUS THE BEAR
When: 9 p.m. Thursday
Where: 40 Watt Club
Price: $12 advance, Tickets available at Schoolkids Records
Now, after three albums and international touring, the Seattle quintet is poised to unveil new material from their forthcoming record on a 25-date fall tour. The band has been touring for more than seven years, and though they’ve covered a lot of ground, this will be their first trip to the Classic City.
“We’ve never been to Athens, so we’re looking forward to seeing the city,” said guitarist and lead vocalist Jake Snider. “We’re always in Atlanta. It’s a great town, but we’re ready for the [Athens] vibe. It’ll be fun to feel that smaller-town vibe.”
Minus the Bear recently spent four months in the studio recording their follow-up to 2007’s critically acclaimed “Planet of Ice,” which displayed trailing melodies, distant vocals and ambient tones that created an atmosphere best described by the album’s title.
For the new record, Snider remarks that the writing process was similar to previous works, but the recording process was different.
“We gave up a lot of self-production that we’ve had in the past,” Snider said. “We’ve put more focus on trying to make this the best record possible.”
At the helm of the fourth record is Joe Chiccarelli, who has produced the likes of The Shins, The White Stripes and My Morning Jacket.
The band expects the differences in recording style to be evident in the new record.
“I think this record is a bit more diverse,” remarks Snider. “It has a lot more of a concert feel to it than our previous records.”
Last month, the band gave fans a taste of what’s to come when it released a new track, “Into the Mirror” on iTunes. The track featured the styling that fans came to love but with a deeper and smoother richness. The band contrasted staccato looping with cooling keys and guitars and a sensual, storytelling vocal duet (featuring Rachel Flotard of fellow Seattle group Visqueen).
Minus the Bear continues to build off its complex sound with every album, but Snider said the band still continues to have fun and happily takes the fans with it through its music and energetic live shows.
“Every tour is a blast. Everyone’s more comfortable with each other every day,” he said.
