Seriously, you need this in your life. For the vibes.
CATBEAR is Zoe (she/her) and Sarah (she/her), two best buds who like hanging out making nostalgic electronic alt pop music, wishing they were living in the future where everyone rides a fluorescent hoverboard and neon spokey dokeys are still cool.
CATBEAR is proud to be part of a current tide of female producers, stomping on the statistic of “2% of music producers are female”.
“Having experienced challenging recording studio experiences in our early days, it is important to us to show our capabilities as independent music makers. We make and release our music on our terms, and we make sure we enjoy it and create a safe, fun space for those who come along for the ride”.
CATBEAR are launching their own Discord server this Summer to create an inclusive, community space for music fans and makers alike.
Always fiercely independent, CATBEAR began life in the 2010s as indie post-punk grrl trio Cat Bear Tree, sharing the stages with Nova Twins, Skinny Girl Diet and the Tuts as they blazed a trail through the London live scene.
Their captivating three-part harmonies juxtaposed with shouty gang vocals sat atop fuzzy guitars. They loved being part of the DIY music community and released 2 EPs as a trio.
During some time apart Zoe had been starting to produce her own solo releases and when Sarah and Zoe got back together as a duo, a new 80s-influenced sound emerged and CATBEAR was born.
“I don’t mind, being alone / I don’t care to go out to be judged” spoke Beast of the Night – a disenchanted ode to the come down from too many nights going out out. “I can’t even dance anyway / I’m not drunk enough to forget to care” The cynical, yet self-assured lyrics delivered atop a retrowave, Stranger Things-evoking production marked the first single as a duo.
The second single followed up with a more light, bouncing synth pop take on the melancholic yearning of Unrequited Love “Your somebody else doesn’t know how I’ve felt / How I long to be them more than anyone else”.
Love and War saw CATBEAR delve into their darker, guitar-led roots with a new wave, indie guitar opening sat upon throbbing arpeggiating melodies leading to a catchy, celebration of a failed relationship “essentially, you and me would never be worth the long shot” “it must have felt good, to know I loved you” “Cursed from the start / You sparkled like a diamond/ But I bruised your pride/ And you envied mine”.
CATBEAR’s 2020 Summer release Girl Crush is an ode to the age-old problem of fancying your friend, adding to that the wlw LGBTQ+ theme, this lyrical diary entry to the pangs of fantasising about the girl you can’t have, sees CATBEAR giving their most sweet and dreamy unashamedly 80s-influenced pop sound.
Who Are You? closed out 2020 with a more immediate, slice of in-your-face alt pop addressing the first flushes of lust, questioning if you can trust your own feelings in the early days of physical connection. A strong demonstration of CATBEAR’s focus on building a hard-hitting yet danceable rhythm section.
Only Desire is CATBEAR’s 2021 return. With a lead vocal hook echoing M83, CATBEAR invites you into their immersive world of vintage synth atmospheres to explore your own meaning of desire, amongst the transcendent, dream-like lyrics. The song takes influence from the worlds of indie and electronic music from the past 30 years, painting an immersive, cinematic dystopia.
I had the chance to interview CATBEAR and catch up with them on the release, check it out below!
What inspired you to make this song?
We were feeling in a slightly darker mood, curious if we could make a no-words chorus which was still interesting but conveyed a certain feeling without lyrics (we kinda cheated by then adding “only desire”! We were also listening to songs that used effects on the voice to almost disguise it and wanted to play with that in a way that was creative and took our sound to a new place, and this is the result!
What was your favorite part about making this song?
It was difficult to find a balance in the vocal processing. We will often layer our vocals but not mangle it so much so I was a bit worried when producing the vocal that people who like our other music might be like “why do the voices sound so different and processed?” but in the end I just wanted to enjoy taking it to a new place, and exploring the vocal sound. I quite like the idea of sounding gender-less, and being less precious about the vocal pureness.
What was the hardest part?
Yes, it felt great to play with the voices and it felt quite intense at times when producing the song. It’s quite a dark contemplation on ‘desire’ and we wanted to keep it not too specific, and open to the listener’s situation and interpretation.
Was this release cathartic for you?
Hearing that people enjoy and connect with our music makes it worth it and makes us stay motivated to keep making and releasing music. It’s a real personal expression and we’ll carry on even if people don’t listen! But it’s so amazing when people enjoy the music. Receiving messages from people is the best!
What keeps you motivated?
Hearing that people enjoy and connect with our music makes it worth it and makes us stay motivated to keep making and releasing music. It’s a real personal expression and we’ll carry on even if people don’t listen! But it’s so amazing when people enjoy the music. Receiving messages from people is the best!
What can we expect next from you?
We’ll release another single at least before the end of the year. We’re really excited about that one too.
What other artists are you listening to right now?
Some up and coming bands like Parlour Panther, Tove, Droves, early 90s dance pop, dark 80s indie and new wave, 2010s synthwave (Nina, Lau) Jenn Champion, Now Now, Petrol Girls, Nova Twins.
Thanks for taking the time to answer those questions for us!
Be sure to stream “Only Desire” by CATBEAR on all platforms now, and follow them on social media below!
Written By: Bryce Quartz