Created by two brothers Matt and Alex Georgiou, who are passionate about music, Bear Witness is an alternative rock duo who are out to cause a stir with as much beautiful noise as possible.
Give us a potted history of the band
The band began officially in late 2017 between my brother Alex and I. We grew up playing music together, performing in various bands locally, but we had never resolved to start one with a specific purpose and aim. With Bear Witness it was different. We knew exactly what we wanted to do. We wanted to make rock that contained elements of numerous genres. All tied together under a songwriting first approach. We wanted music that contained real soul, genuine emotion and passion, with the intention to infuse this into every aspect of the music.
We knew we wanted to start with the songs at a core level, music that sounded good however you played it, whether that be on an acoustic guitar or laden with production. This meant always starting with the melody, if that was strong then we knew to move forward with it.
We put all our energy into shaping the song as best we can, we want it to make someone jump, cry, sing and dance. Communicating the emotion as clearly as possible, and hopefully helping others in the same way our favourite artists have helped us.
We’re really proud of where this approach has taken us so far, from support from BBC Radio 1, finishing as finalists of the Isle of Wight New Blood tournament; to collaborating with Grammy winning producers and mastering engineers are all achievements we can’t believe have happened.
Who inspired you to start making music
That’s easy, Green Day! Nothing could have prepared us for how Green Day would take over our lives as 10 year olds, we played them non-stop, and Alex was obsessed with the charismatic and rather odd character that was their drummer Tre Cool.
We largely picked up instruments because we wanted to be like them, and slightly through encouragement from our dad, but it was mainly because of Green Day.
And the one or maybe two records that inspired you artistically
A recent record that really inspired us artistically was ‘A Boy Who Died Wolf’ by Highly Suspect. The record was raw rock, but also somehow sounded so modern and exciting. It was rock but rock in a way that felt like it fit in with the progression of all other genres. Listening to that really inspired us and made us believe our sound could have a place in modern music. You didn’t have to sacrifice passion and soul in exchange for modern and slick production, this record was doing both, and doing both phenomenally. In a way, I think these two elements are meant to sit alongside each other in music. If done right the production emphasizes the emotion, as opposed to detracting from it. Listening to this album really highlighted the endless possibilities here.
Additionally, what has been really amazing is that in the past couple of years, we have actually worked with their producer on that album (Joel Hamilton). Creating music with someone who was a part of our favourite record has been one of the most enjoyable experiences we’ve had as a band, and listening to his thoughts on our own music has been invaluable.
If you’re trying to explain who you sound like to someone who’s never heard you, what do you say
We usually start with ‘Beautiful Noise’. Our sound is often rock oriented, but with a heavy focus on melody and hooks, leading to a beauty that sits amidst all the noise.
We’ve been described as having the soul of Jeff Buckley, the energy of the Foo Fighters and the melodic affinity of Twenty One Pilots. We also love to go for big choruses and powerful vocals, leading to some comparison with 30 Seconds To Mars.
Tell us about your new single
Our upcoming single is called Medusa and will be released in April, it is an epic sounding rock track, with influences from grunge, modern and electronic rock and dark R’n’B.
Medusa is a comment on society. In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa was a beautiful temptress who would lure warriors in with her beauty before turning them to stone. In the 21st century she has become smarter, she no longer faces heroes head on, instead taking the form of big business. Seducing us all with the temptation of wealth and prosperity, before stealing our time and inevitably turning us to stone. Soulless and monotonous, a working cog in a mammoth machine. Seas of stone whilst Medusa makes millions.
We also have a release coming in February called ‘Sunset Eyes’, this one is much more soulful and we won’t be pushing as a single. It is about the pain of loss, grief and ultimate acceptance. We wrote it with the hope that it can find someone who is also going through these same emotions as we did, we all go through these moments at some point in our lives and they are never easy.
Where can we get hold of it
Both tracks will be available on all music streaming and downloadable platforms (Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp etc.)
We may also get some vinyls printed later in the year, but that’s still in early stages right now!
Tell us how you write
As mentioned above, we always start tracks with the melody first, either with guitar or piano and a vocal hook. The count of voice memos I have of this type is ridiculous! Following this, I’ll show it to Alex and we’ll jam the idea together in rehearsal, brainstorming different drum rhythms that may work.
If we can get the track to a stage where the rhythm and melody really feel captivating then we’ll move forward with it. This is where we start utilising different production elements and samples to show different sides of the track. You’d be surprised at just how many faces one set of chords can take! Moving from energetic to melancholic just by changing the rhythm or instrumentation. Following all of this we then know if a song really has the legs to be mixed, mastered and released.
Often I will also go to local open mics in Brighton to test out the songs with just a guitar. After all, if it can’t move people like that then how will it move anyone when it’s a full song?
Tell us about your live show What would be your dream gig
Our live shows are focused on 3 key elements: Energy, excitement and interaction. We want the audience to have the best time possible when they come out to a show. We want them to be lifted by the excitement and energy of the music, bounce around, sing along, dance and forget about the rest of the world. We also love to be as interactive as possible with the audience. Ultimately, the show is about them, and we find that even a small amount of direct interaction with them elevates the show tenfold! All of our favourite shows we’ve played are because of the audience, not our musical performance that night.
Our dream gig would have to be the Roundhouse in Camden, it’s just so iconic! And the list of incredible artists who have graced that stage is endless, it would be an honour to play at a venue where so many of our favourite artists have played.
What can we expect from you in the near future
We have so much coming up! The track ‘Sunset Eyes’ in February, our main single ‘Medusa’ in April, and 2 other releases set for later in the year.
On a show front, we have one lined up in Soho at The Spice of Life on the 23rd of February. We’re also playing the Hot Vox Rising live stream on the 7th of March – raising money for the charity WarChild.
We’ll be playing Liverpool in April (more details to come soon) and we’re just finalizing another London show at the Troubadour in May.
Tell us your favourite records that are rocking your headphones/tour bus/stereo
Currently, we’re really loving ‘Kool-Aid’ by Bring Me The Horizon, it just sounds massive! And it seems like there’s a bit of almost every genre smashed together in that song. We’ve also been listening to ‘Good Ideas’ by The Blue Stones quite a bit.
And not going to lie, the new Post Malone album has some tunes!
Check out the bands track Thorn In My Side, below:
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