Bear Hands Interview: SXSW 2010

You may have heard of Bear Hands. If not, you'll definitely hear about them soon. They're currently recording their debut album, and at the end of this month, Bear Hands will be going on tour with We Were Promised Jetpacks, then right on to SXSW. All this followed by a tour with the darlings of the hipster community -- Passion Pit! Recently, we got to talk to vocalist/guitarist Dylan Rau and drummer TJ Orscher about the band.

Describe your sound in your own words.

DR: Gristly bone pick. Dying to fit in.

TJ: Generally, we hate this question, only because its hard for us to describe ourselves in any words. We rock, we dance, we drink, we love and we do it in front of people who want to do it too. No, not like that.

How did your band form?

DR: Ted [Feldman, guitar/percussion] and I met at Wesleyan University. I knew the other kids from playing in punk bands as a teenager. We started playing in Brooklyn in 2006.

TJ: Dylan had some material he wanted to put with a band, and a project Val and I were working on for the last half decade just ended. He said he knew the perfect guitarist and when we met up and played for the first time, as cliche as it may be, everything just clicked. We started writing material together, fleshing songs out and started playing some local shows around NYC. We fight like brothers and love like mothers. The rest is magic.

What are your musical influences?

DR: Lil Wayne, Daft Punk, T. Rex, Junior Boys.

TJ: We all draw from so many different influences, it's impossible to say, definitively. And nowadays, there are so many bands and so much musical noise, I feel like it's almost impossible to say who is influencing who. I mean, the obvious choices are the obvious choices, the ones who shaped music as we know it, and I won't even say who my obvious choices are, because my obvious choices are probably totally different than the next person. But shout outs to Zeppelin, Beatles and Floyd.

How did you come up with your band name?

DR: Val [Loper, bass/percussion] picked it on the way to meeting some label dude. I think the label is bankrupt now.

TJ: Yeah, he had thought of the name for another band, but none of them liked it. We, however, seemingly had no choice. We didn't really think about it till it was too late, but its grown on us and we can dig it.

What's in your festival survival kit?

DR: Marijuana, sleeping bag, granola bars.

TJ: All essentials, tons of the first. I would add boots too, cause if it rains, it pours, and gets disgustingly muddy. On the upside, it's awesome to play festivals cause they usually take care of you really well. We were the first band to play on our stage and the production and stage crews treated us awesomely, then they gave us free booze and food and all access to the fest. And then we had friends playing too, it just was such a great time.

What's your musical guilty pleasure?

DR: Bobby Brown.

TJ: My parents gave me Bon Jovi 'Keep the Faith,' my first cassette tape ever, when I was 12 for Christmas. I subsequently ordered their entire catalog from Columbia or one of those 12 tapes for $1 plans. And I don't think they know it but it changed my life.

Beatles or Stones?

DR: There is only one answer to the this question and it rhymes with needles.

TJ: I was never much of a stones fan, but I find myself slightly liking them a bit more every time I hear them, I think I just don't like Mick for no good reason, I think I disliked rock stars that acted like rock stars for some time. The Beatles grow and grow on me every time I hear them. I'm a late bloomer with them as well, but they are amazing every time I hear them. I have a co-worker that has an insane vinyl collection and he has the most obscure Beatles tracks and records, it's amazing. Like, their annual Christmas messages to all their fans amongst a bunch of b-sides, it's great.

What's the craziest thing you've seen or experienced while on tour?

DR: Crazy partner swapping in London.

TJ: And that is all we'll say about that. I think just tour in general is crazy. A different place every night, playing the music you want to play, trying to make a living. there's no other profession like it.

If you could be any dinosaur, which would you be and why?

DR: Something that can fly and swim and has four wheel drive.

TJ: Anything that survived the Ice Age, it'd suck to be extinct.

If you could collaborate with any musician or group (living or dead, active or inactive), who would you collaborate with and why?

TJ: I mean, the list goes on and on. Hendrix, Cobain, Marley, Bonham, to name a few passed on gods. I'd love to get out from behind the drums and jam on a track with John Bonham. Living; Bowie, Wonder and Radiohead. These people seem like they can never do wrong. I'm into it.


Evan Kalikow is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.