Blue Was a Bear
Blue Was a Bear
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About Blue Was a Bear
Born in the fall of 2004, Aaron Rauch and Kyle Bellinger began writing and performing songs that would communicate those feelings that go along with coming of age and a loss of one’s innocence. They played a number of shows throughout that year and into the next, covering New York’s Rockland County and the surrounding areas. In that span of time they took on the moniker, Blue Was a Bear. In the spring of 2005 they recorded, “Ghost Between the Walls,” a five song demo showcasing the vocals and acoustic guitar work of Rauch with Bellinger backing him on the classical guitar. However, constant last-minute preparation for performances and the prolonged dissatisfaction with the limited capabilities of a duo, the two came to the conclusion that they needed to get serious and form a full band. In December of 2005, Rauch and Bellinger contacted friends, Bryan Casey and Urban Eisen-Miller. They proposed to form a band that would not only be a platform to exercise their creative muscles but also a place where lines between stylistic differences could be blurred. They hoped to create a fresh sound without the limitations of trying to fit into a genre. After several practices and a few gigs with the new lineup, the boys decided that while they were happy with their new direction, the sound they were achieving was still lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. That hole in their musical hearts was filled by Britney Boras, an old friend who happened to be a gifted vocalist and violinist. With the lineup finally complete, BWAB started writing a handful of new songs that would not only push the envelope stylistically but would force the group to open their ears in ways they had never experienced thus taking the band in realms they could have, previously, only dreamed about. However, the joy would not last long. Late in the spring of that year, Britney decided that she needed to pursue other creative endeavors. So with a friendly parting, the band was again in search of a female vocalist. But as fate would have it, on the night of Britney’s last performance with BWAB, the boys crossed paths with another female blessed with a heavenly voice, belonging to the one, Bethany Olson. Immediately following their set, Rauch approached Bethany and asked her to take over Britney’s vocal responsibilities. She gladly accepted hence creating the BWAB that exists today. At the inception of BWAB, was only the desire to express those thoughts and emotions that go along with crossing the threshold that divides childhood and adulthood. They continue in that same spirit of the victories and struggles that accompany all twenty-somethings. Their influences run the spectrum from Radiohead, Pedro the Lion and Jeff Buckley to blues and jazz giants in the same vein as Muddy Waters, Miles Davis, Art Tatum and John Coltrane. There is also a constant Latin influence throughout their music reminiscent of early Carlos Santana.
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