Fuzzy guitar pop band Bear Driver have obviously caught the attention of stateside big wigs. Their track ‘No Time to Speak’ was chosen for the soundtrack of new rom com ‘Stuck in Love’. The pacy sun-soaked stormer is taken from the London 5-piece’s debut album which was released to widespread acclaim earlier this year. It feature on a soundtrack alongside songs by such luminaries as Bright Eyes and The National and is further evidence of the band’s rising star. Speaking of which, GigSlutz caught up with Oli from the band boys to talk about the origins of their name, the album and their favourite films…

GS: Hi, How are you all doing?

Oli: Hi, we’re good thanks – enjoying this little Mediterranean thing the weather has going on this week. Perfect day for a windowless studio with no air conditioning.

GS: How did your involvement in the ‘Stuck in Love’ soundtrack come about?

Oli: We work with a company in New York called Point Man Music Group who look for suitable placements for our music. The guys choosing the music for the film liked our track so happily we were included alongside some great music.

GS: The film has been labeled a future cult classic. Are there any past cult classics that you wish your music was featured on?

Oli: I’d love to have written the score for Withnail & I. I spent years tracking down a copy of it on vinyl. I’m sure there could have been a little Bear Driver in there somewhere. Maybe accompanying a shotgun-river scene?

GS: Your debut album came out last year and has subsequently won you admirers on the radio and in the press. Are you pleased with the reaction?

Oli: yeah it’s been great, we get lots of nice messages from people who have been enjoying the record. When you let a record loose into the world you never quite know where it’ll end up, if it might fall in with a bad crowd, get it’s heart broken somewhere along the way. But ours seems to be thriving and in good health. For that we’re thankful.

GS: What has been the highlight of your musical career so far?

Oli: There have been a few… Playing to a packed out Koko was one for sure. Playing our first shows in the States was another – there’s a certain romance to playing in other countries that you don’t feel as keenly on home turf. But also getting this album finished and released was big milestone for us.

GS: There’s a definite American sound to your music, why do you think that is?

Oli: I think any American sound to our music comes from the influence of alternative/indie bands like Yo La Tengo, Sparklehorse, Sonic Youth. But also there’s a nod to the old-school British rock’n’roll of the Beatles, Kinks etc which I think has the charm of being very English sounding but with an American twang. Pop music is a constant trade of voices, echoing band forth between different countries and cultures, so it’s only natural that the output from any given place is going to have have reflections of others. We didn’t particularly set out to sound one way or another but as the band evolved the sound became more about the common ground between all of us, and ended up sounding quite trans-Atlantic.

GS: Which bands do you like who are releasing music at the moment and who are you favourite bands of the past?

Oli: See above for some bands from the past though I could add a few more pages to that list. For current bands I’d pick out The National, Foxygen, Rose Windows, Tallest Man On Earth.. Again this list could go be a long list, there are great things appearing all the time.

GS: Tell us how you came up with the name Bear Driver?

Oli: The name Bear Driver is taken from the constellation ‘Bootes’, the Herdsman. We were scrabbling around for name just days before our first ever gig and took a chance look at a map of the night sky. It has various translations, including Ox-Driver. So we should probably do a record under that name too.

GS: We have a monthly radio show which runs along side the website. We ask artists we interview to pick a ‘mini’ playlist for us to play on air. Would you like to pick 3 songs for us? They can be anything you like; your own, bands you want to big up, guilty pleasures, anything. Shoot!

Oli: Sure thing, here are some friends and associated acts that you should hear:

WALL – No Secrets
https://soundcloud.com/wall100/no-secrets

Dead Flowers – Wonderwheel

Lowpines – Avenue Blues

GS: What are your plans now? – can we expect another album in the near future?

Oli: Right now we’re all busy working on a various other projects, including some of the above, so we’re taking some time off from doing shows. But there are new songs gathering that will coming together before too long.

GS: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Oli: Our album is available for £PayWhatYouLike from www.beardriver.bandcamp.com – go get it.

GS: Cheers mate!

Sam Turner
@SamTurner1984