Band of the Day: Eliza and the Bear

Regardless of how much fame and fortune a band acquires, that defining moment where their sound first hits your ears is more often than not a make or break situation for you. An impression can be left almost instantly, especially so in a public forum where the band stands in front of you, no screens and pristine data files to hide behind. Both the band and to a certain extent yourself are out of your comfort zone at a gig, and any band that successfully wins you over face-to-face is more worthy of the place on your Last.fm profile than any other.

Eliza and the Bear are one such band that can and have done this, but what makes them just that extra bit special is that they won me over with the bare essentials required to even play their music. A band’s spirit and energy is as memorable as their sound, and this five-piece Essex-based alt/indie rock group have both in spades.

They’re making ripples not waves so far in the social consciousness, but that won’t stop them from making a big impact given the chance. They released their second single – the huge, rousing ‘Brother’s Boat’ – last month, following on from the slower but equally beautifully constructed ‘Trees’ they released last year and both have been immensely well-received in small circles. They are a band praised by few who can do little except share what they’ve found to the many that otherwise would turn a blind ear.

If Eliza and the Bear’s debut EP is as good as the two singles they’ve released thus far you will be hearing more from me than this post, the last and an interview soon to follow. The guys told me they’ve been hard at work at bringing their best out for the EP (working with music producer Peter Miles will have helped – Canterbury, Your Demise and We Are The Ocean) – but for the time being, I’ll be leaving the repeat button on and enjoying immensely what they’ve given so far.

You can download ‘Brother’s Boat’ for free, and listen to ‘Trees’ via SoundCloud or YouTube; both are below for instant access on tap. You’d do good to go one step further though and and bookmark this for future reference…