Bio

On the heels of their extensive tour with twenty one pilots, today Bear Hands confirm a 31-city tour supporting X Ambassadors. The tour will kick off on October 8 in Tucson, AZ, with shows in cities including Atlanta, Richmond, New York City, Seattle, and Los Angeles (full dates below). Tickets for all dates are on sale now and can be purchased here.

Bear Hands, comprised of vocalist Dylan Rau, bassist Val Loper, and drummer TJ Orscher,  recently released their fourth studio album Fake Tunes, a deep dive into a twisted modern era, paranoid yet hopeful, celebrity obsessed and introspective, and an unmistakable sign of troubled times. Written and recorded in the plastic warmth of Los Angeles, Fake Tunes marks an evolution for the band, whilst drawing upon newly formed collaborative relationships with producer Christopher Chu of POP ETC and outsider artist Ursula Rose. Their most auspicious release to date, Fake Tunes is available for purchase on all formats here.

Upon the release of the album, the band debuted the lyric video for “Mr. Radioactive” via Alternative Pressalongside a track-by-track guide to the album by lead singer Dylan Rau. Bear Hands have previously shared videos for the Fake Tunes tracks “Reptilians,” “Back Seat Driver (Spirit Guide),” and “Blue Lips (feat. Ursula Rose),” which Alternative Press called “another highlight for the long-running outfit of Rau, bassist Val Loper and drummer TJ Orscher.”

Fake Tunes finds Bear Hands exploring new sounds and new themes with fresh wit and vulnerability, and is anchored by Rau’s sharp, incisive songwriting, tackling the challenges of relationships, dependence, acceptance, and uncertainty.

From the “metronomic electro-pop” (New York Times) of album opener “Blue Lips (feat. Ursula Rose),” a song about listening to someone’s problems over and over until it drains you completely, to the dreamy lilt of “Clean Up California,” a song about finding salvation (or not) across state lines, Fake Tunes traces the anxiety of life and love in America today. The album’s 11 tracks veer from the meaty, rhythmic indie anthems the band cut its teeth on to digitally-infused numbers that swerve across stylistic lanes. The result is a fitting statement of what a band can be—and the expectations it can defy. “It feels like this record is grateful,” Loper says. “We feel lucky to be here, to have the chance to keep making music together. It feels lighter. The songs are shorter, they’re pretty poppy, and they’re to the point. And that’s where our music is most impactful.”

Bear Hands was formed in Connecticut and soon after moved to NYC to test their chemistry on stage. The band would go on to release its acclaimed debut LP, Burning Bush Supper Club, in 2010, riding steady hype to 2014’s showstopper Distraction. Radio soon caught on, earning the band major chart success with singles “Giants” and “Agora,” alongside a late night TV debut on Conan. The group quickly earned a reputation as a visceral live act, touring with the likes of Passion Pit, Killer Mike, and Cage the Elephant, and landing on festival bills from Coachella to Reading & Leeds. This year, the band has toured alongside Foals, Walk the Moon, and twenty one pilots.