"I can't imagine there being better pop around right now" - Dr Indie

Be The Bear is a Swedish-based experimental popduo made up of Christina Julia Wehage and Mattias Bolin. Christina is originally Danish, born in Solrød to an English mother and half-Danish/half-Norwegian father. Mattias is from Sösdala in the south of Sweden, but moved to Gothenburg where he met Christina. The band just released their first EP "Fireships".

"With titles like Exploceans and Howl, produced in a Bon Iver-like mist of subtle details and a sonorous mix of vocals, this is a very promising debut that definitely needs to be heard" - Album Of The Week, Popbrus

Music Tip Of The Week

"This week Kulturbloggen reviews the new, critically acclaimed album by Swedish First Aid Kit and to elaborate on approximately the same genre (but above all, women in music) seemed natural when Be The Bears musical treasure lay waiting in our inbox ...

Check out this touching, powerful and heart-warming song and keep your fingers crossed that 2012 is the year of Be The Bear" - Music Tip Of The Week, Kulturbloggen

Fireships EP, Digital Release Dec 23rd 2011

Reviews of Fireships:

"Reminiscent of early “Fauna-era” Oh Land with the cold and damp “Exploceans” filled with its deeply-resonating echoes and the heavily-disjointed “All People are Angels” whose rapidly-pulsating drum beats slice through the minimal piano melodies.

While seemingly run-of-the-mill “singer/songwriter” songs, “Had to Get out of Bed” is filled with curious little Oriental-tinged guitar riffs and “Howl” like much of the album prides itself with its vocally-demanding and heavily-layered arrangements" - Swede+Sour

"The album has atmospheric undercurrents that I really like. Songs that somehow bring out my emotional inner landscape. Every song is relevant and bring to the whole a nice aesthetique … I can't imagine there being better pop around right now" - Dr Indie

"Nobody can accuse Be the Bear of being one-trick ponies, eack of the 5 tracks here being as diverse as the next. Opener ‘Had to get out of bed’ is the most straight-up pop song on the EP and at a trim two and a half minutes is a brief, solid opener, neither wowing the listener or out-staying its welcome. Second track ‘Exploceans’ is a different beast altogether, with a brooding verse that brought to mind Portishead and complete with a memorable chorus makes this perhaps the stongest track on the E.P.

It is quite a set of pipes that vocalist Christina Julia Wehage has been blessed with, her remarkable voice getting a full workout on the acoustic, folk-tinged ‘Howl’. Up next ‘All people are angels’, whilst probably my least favouite track here, there is little doubt that the made for radio chorus gives this song great commercial appeal.

Final track ’2 Souls’ is probably a good example of what Be the Bear are all about, Scandic pop with an experimental edge all underpinned with Wehage’s fine voice. With a 2012 tour in the pipeline we suggest keeping your eye’s & ear’s peeled for this local duo. People, you have been advised!" - InMyKitchen

Be The Bear released their first unsigned recording entitled 'My New Glow' on April 1, 2011 - Christina's 26th birthday. The single features the song "My New Glow" and a re-recorded, partially re-written version of "Heart On A Line".

Six months before its inclusion on this single, the band recorded an earlier version of the track ‘Heart on a line’ which was chosen as the soundtrack to the SAAB 9-4X commercial, and in just a few days was seen by thousands of listeners on YouTube.

The single was recorded at the Gothenburg music studio Loud Attic.

Their cover version of the Swedish Folksong "Barfotavisan" by Mats Paulson is currently being aired on Swedish national television in a commercial for the florist chain Blomsterlandet, running since April 2011.

In October 2011 the band donated their song "Heart On A Line" to the Swedish charity organisation "Ung Cancer" (Young Cancer). The song was included on the "Det Är Okej Att Känna" (It's OK To Feel) CD released on iTunes the 3rd of October 2011. The song was also featured in the short film "Det Är Okej Att Känna Hopp" (It's OK To Feel Hope"), one out of five films in the campaign.

The music is a mix of genres, with sounds ranging from acoustic guitars to rocky choruses, electronic dance beats, indie harmonies, marching-band percussion and orchestral elements such as strings, kettle drums, and Christina’s occassional operatic outbursts.

All of the band’s artwork is created by celebrated Vietnamese artist Khoa Le, who has had her own solo exhibition for over a year at the Daydreamer Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City. Her visuals for the band are based on concepts drawn from Christina’s lyrics.