Bear Hands are a Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet formed in 2006. The group consists of Dylan Rau, Ted Feldman, Val Loper and TJ Orscher.

Origins and formation

Rau and Feldman meet while studying film at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. They become friends before starting to make music together, with Feldman already playing in another band at the time. Rau later recruits Loper and Orscher from the Glastonbury, Connecticut band In Pieces to complete the lineup. The first rehearsals produce four songs in two sessions, and the group begins with a strong collaborative fit.

Style and songwriting

Bear Hands work in post-punk, experimental and indie rock, with songs built around pop hooks and mixed with elements drawn from psychedelic and punk music. Rau handles vocals and guitar, and Feldman is his main songwriting partner. The two are described as contrasting personalities: Rau presents himself as someone who does not read music and thinks in terms of ideas, while Feldman, who grew up playing cello, takes a more controlled approach.

Albums and recordings

The band signs to Cantora Records after forming. Their debut album, Burning Bush Supper Club, is released in 2010. Work on the follow-up, Distraction, is delayed by legal problems and other distractions, so the band funds it themselves. Feldman produces the album and also directs the band’s videos, with engineering help from friends Yale Yng-Wong and Jake Aron. Drums and basic tracks are recorded at Feldman’s parents’ house, which is used as a temporary studio, while overdubs and vocals are completed at Doctor Wu’s in Brooklyn.

Notable songs and themes

Giants is highlighted as a song that captures the band’s style, moving from a hectic verse of shouted, stream-of-consciousness lyrics into a chorus built around the line “I’m loving you more” and a cascading riff. Other songs on Distraction draw directly from personal experience: Agora concerns Rau’s agoraphobia; Thought Wrong comes from a period when two members are going through difficult break-ups at the same time; and Vile Iowa reflects Rau’s experiences with an ex-girlfriend’s conservative Mormon family.

Writing and themes

The band’s work often deals with distraction, loss of focus and troubled relationships. Rau links the title of Distraction to the idea of losing touch with reality, and describes distractions such as drugs, alcohol, reality television, food and the internet. The group also describes itself as aiming to write pop songs while drawing on a wide range of styles.