In this interview, we talk with Bear In The Forest, a talented musician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known for his captivating indie folk melodies. Join us as we explore his musical journey, centered around his deep connection with music and its power to heal and inspire. Bear In The Forest shares insights into his background, experiences, and creative process, offering a glimpse into his world as a passionate artist. Notably, Bear In The Forest released his debut album some time ago, featuring original tracks like “Flow With Me,” often chosen as the opening number for his performances.
How did you find out about Make Music Day?
I believe someone who was organizing the events for Make Music Madison reached out to me and told me all about the events that were happening. I liked the idea, so I signed up, created my profile, and then a handful of venues contacted me to play in some events.
How was the experience?
I’ve participated for two years. It’s been awesome. I kind of tour the city and play at three or four different spots around it during the day. It was really fun to get to play in various venues in one day, and I just love playing music, so it was always a good time.
How did you start playing music?
I feel like I’d always been inclined towards music. I was a dancing baby. And then, when I was young, even before I started playing instruments, I loved listening to artists like The Beatles and pretending to be them, emulating their performances. I dreamt of becoming a rock star. My parents made me start playing the violin when I was in third grade, which I didn’t love right away. Once I got to middle school, I started playing guitar, as I fell in love with folk and indie music and the sound of acoustic guitar. From the moment I started with the guitar, I remember I just wanted to write my own songs and become a songwriter. I kind of wanted to bring the same level of inspiration that I had gotten from folk music to other people. At school, I debuted as a performer and played at various talent shows, and that’s also where I came out with the artist name “Bear In The Forest”.
What artists inspired you to start making music?
In my early years, I was obsessed with bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, sparking my desire to become a rock star. However, what got me into songwriting and playing guitar was some of the new-aged folk artists of the 2010s, such as Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, and Ben Howard, incredible acoustic guitar players. A lot of these British folk artists who took Americana music and made it their own caught my attention when I was in middle school. I heard “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons, and I thought it was just really incredible what Marcus Mumford does with the acoustic guitar; I didn’t know you could do that with it. I’d never heard the guitar used in such a percussive way, taking so much space. That’s how a lot of indie folk artists use the guitar; they use it as if the guitar was almost the entire band. The Tallest Man on Earth is another one of my big inspirations, and a lot of his work is just him and the guitar, but he creates full sounds with it. That’s what I’m built on now and what I base my music on.
In your presentations, do you usually play your original music, or also throw in some covers?
Mostly original music; I’ve always been that way. However, I’ve started incorporating more covers, especially when I need to build a long setlist for a performance. Covers are also great to draw people’s attention, and it’s cool to get people to hear your take on covers. Lately, I’ve been enjoying covering artists such as Hozier, The Beatles, Neil Young, Bon Iver, among others. While I strategically use covers, my focus remains on showcasing my original compositions because that’s where my passion lies. Also, I feel like I play better when it comes to my songs, considering that when playing I focus more on the sounds I create than some technicalities of music.
Are you currently doing music full-time?
I’m not a full-time musician, but I’m working towards that. That’s the ultimate goal. Currently, I work part-time, and I have enough time in my day to focus on my music.
How would you describe what music means to you?
Music is very spiritual to me. It’s my way of tapping into something greater. It’s my way of communicating my joy, my pain, and my feelings. I definitely have a pretty rough background because of some life struggles I’ve faced, and music has always been a way to process those things and truly heal from them.