Spotlight: China Bears
Story & Photos By Henry Ager
AMBIENT INDIE ROCK WITH LAYERED LYRICS - China Bears is crafting a sound that evoke feelings of melancholy for the listener, transporting them to a euphoric and ambient state of mind. Consisting of James Zealey (bass and vocals), Ivan Proctor (vocals and guitar), Dean McCaw (drums and vocals) and Frazer Proctor (Guitar and vocals), the individuals each play a key role in their creative process.
The writing process for the Bears usually starts with one member of the band coming up with the skeleton of a song, the lyrics and chords, then bringing it to the group to become a collaborative project. Demoing, practicing and using old unused material, they begin to flesh out the song until it is ready to be performed live. The development of the song continues during their live performances, through discovering how the crowds react and the feelings the band experience whilst performing the song leads to its tweaks and changes. Resulting in changes and differences to the songs’ original concept, but this is all part of the natural development in leading a song its China Bears’ style.
Some material in their first EP I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You had been written over four years ago, allowing for the songs to be revisited and revised. This considered approach to recording and releasing music has made I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You into a deeply layered EP, where you can see the efforts of their hard work and patience to perfecting the songs. The China Bears wanted I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You to be ‘as good as it deserves to be’ and I feel they have achieved that with their dedication and persistence. Their music derives inspiration from ‘guitar rock’ bands, however the band members come from varied musical backgrounds. Their listening habits inevitably leak into their own songwriting, with lyrical themes of intense intimacy and despair that many ‘Emo’ songs contain is one aspect that has influenced their writing.
I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You is an interesting EP due to the contrast in the songs that fit perfectly alongside each other. This could be down to the EP being recorded at very close intervals, which has given all of the songs a familiar ‘atmosphere’ whilst maintaining the China Bears’ style. “Cold Shivers” began life as a melody of the chorus, but the Bears then used a guitar section they had previously written but not used, by changing the time signature to fit the new melody. This style of writing is typical for China Bears as they have a large catalog of unused music ready to find its perfect part in a song. Lyrically “Cold Shivers” is about reviewing an argument after the intensity has calmed down. The original sound of “Cold Shivers” was less heavy but became heavier during its development. The Bears recognize “Cold Shivers” as a crowd favorite, often seeing if they’ve won over a crowd when they play it.
Similar to “Cold Shivers”, “Sunday” is another song that has undergone many minor tweaks since its original inception five years ago. “Sunday” was brought in and out of the live set whilst they worked on it to get a better sense of how they wanted to the track to flow. Touching on moving away from home for the first time, the track is complemented by the sense of comfort the music would give to a person experiencing the same feelings.
China Bears are currently working on a second EP that is due to be released in July, with singles being released from April onwards. The first single being released on April 3rd will be “I’m Not Eating Like I Used To”, written around the same time as “Sunday”, following similar themes of change and moving away. This was one of the first songs they wrote together as a band when they first formed, giving it lots of time for development. “I’m Not Eating Like I Used To” has, similarly to “Sunday”, been in and out of their live set whilst they have been working on it. The Bears felt that something wasn’t feeling right about the song, so they changed the rhythm and feel of the song and it worked perfectly. “I’m Not Eating Like I Used To” is a favorite of theirs to play live due to the ‘rock’ aspect of it.
Written in the summer of 2019, “Statue Still” will be one of the newer tracks that will be included in the new EP. A combination of an old bridge part and an unfinished song that they married together, the track balances between recording a ‘fuller’ sound yet not spoiling their live performance. The band continues to hone in on their sound and remain open to evolving their tracks so they can be the best version. China Bears will test this music out at upcoming shows in preparation for their upcoming project, out later this year.
TOUR DATES
Sat 14 March | Oakford Social Club | Reading, UK
Thurs 16 April | Servant Jazz Quarters | London
Fri 17 April | Louisiana | Bristol (Supporting Bridges)
Thurs 23 April | Hope & Ruin | Brighton
Fri 24 April | Heartbreakers | Southampton
Sat 25 April |The Eagle Inn | Manchester
