Jack and the Bear plans California studio session
Written by Matt Liasse | | mliasse@toledofreepress.comJack and the Bear gained national exposure when its “Jack’s Flying Theme Part 2” was featured in the season premiere of MTV’s “Catfish: The TV Show.”
“It was kind of surreal,” said accordion/piano player Ryan Servis. “It was cool to hear your own music on something that people all over the country are watching.”
Jack and the Bear
Even though the band’s music is being heard on a national scale (they’ve also been played on an episode of MTV’s “Teen Mom 2”), the furthest west the band has played is Chicago. They’re hoping that changes soon.
The band from Monroe, Mich., consists of three siblings and their friends, ranging from 19 to 23 years old. They have self-released two EPs and are currently saving up to record their debut LP.
Jack and the Bear will play at 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at the One2 Lounge at TREO in Sylvania. The event, the “Jack and the Bear Fundraiser Spectacular” and will feature a silent auction and raffle.
Prizes will include original artwork, scratch recordings and miscellaneous merchandise.
The band is hoping to raise $2,500, which will cover the expenses of touring and recording. The band members have set their sights on the Prairie Sun Recording Studios in Sonoma County, Calif., a studio where Tom Waits has recorded. The studio was chosen for that specific reason, as Waits is a big inspiration for the band.
“We kind of figured, what better way to get his sound than to go to the studio that he recorded a few of his albums at,” Servis said.
The band will record with Waits’ producer Oz Fritz, which Servis said is an honor.
“It’s kind of intimidating because this guy is a Grammy Award-winning producer,” Servis said. “He’s made some of our favorite music so [it’s] intimidating but at the same time I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Servis said the event in Sylvania is important because it could help the band’s future as it is readying itself to go into the studio.
“We’re kind of anxious to get in, but at the same time, you know, it’s a big deal so we want to make sure we’re ready,” Servis said. “There’s still a lot of preparation to do.”
The band has booked the studio for 10 days in March. Their debut album will feature tracks from their earlier EPs with three new tracks as well. The next step is to release what they record, Servis said, so they will look for a publicist and label.
“In the meantime, we’ll be out touring,” Servis said.
The band’s tour will begin in Chicago on Feb. 27, going until the end of March.
“There’s something romantic about being in a different city every day,” Servis said.
Jack and the Bear’s sound reflects current indie bands like Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons. They opened doors for Jack and the Bear, according to the band’s bio.
“We all really like those bands,” Servis said. “They influence us musically, but at the same time … they’ve proven over and over again that they can be commercially successful in a sound of music that is not exactly mainstream. It’s not something you’d expect everyone to be interested in, but they kind of showed that it works.”
Tags: Catfish: The TV Show, Jack and the Bear, MTV, Tom Waits
