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We are happy to premiere ‘Haunted House,’ the grunge-y new single by LA’s FriendlyBear.
Once a childhood dream of Executive Chef Guy Jedidiah, FriendlyBear has now turned into a hard-hitting reality. Having only ever sung karaoke before, Guy is now living out his dream along with Megan Speer and Adam Bones. Together they have unleashed a mighty roar across the local Los Angeles scene since their first official show in the Summer of 2018.
Having jokingly dubbed 2020 “Year of the Bear,” they have a lot more planned for this year. They already have another single, titled "Love Bluff” planned in a couple of weeks with a first EP following in March (release show on 3/20 at the Hi Hat in Highland Park). And why stop there? After that, it's back to the studio to start recording another EP, which will hopefully see the light of day in the spring. And if that's not enough, they are also planning on recording and releasing a full LP by the end of the year. If you want to keep up with FriendlyBear, make sure to follow the band on their socials.
About the song:
"Our song ‘Haunted House’ is about the scary truth of dating and relationships in the modern 'ghosting' age. People can be there one minute and disappear in the blink of an eye. These true life ghosts can leave a scar of emotional distress on your soul, which can lead to much hurt and anger. I feel like our song conveys this from start to finish. People will definitely relate to that."
About how they met:
“Adam and I actually met almost ten years ago. We both used to work at the same restaurant. I was the chef, and he did the promotions. Years later, the three of us all randomly started playing dodgeball in the same recreational league. One thing led to another, and we were jamming together. Ever since I was a kid, I just wanted to play one show for all my friends; I convinced Adam and Megan to do just that. We performed eight original songs at our first show on my birthday, in front of over a hundred friends and family. It went so well that we kept playing shows and writing and eventually recording. The rest is history. It's been one hell of a journey, and we're all excited to see where it leads us.”
About the name FriendlyBear:
“Seriously, what's up with that? What kind of a rock band names themselves Friendly anything? Well, to be honest, it kind of was a joke at first, which stemmed from a bear GIF. We really didn't have a clue that the band would go anywhere past our first show, so we just went with it. Since I had made T-shirts and stickers for the birthday show, we decided to stick with it at least until the merch was sold. Hahahaha. I do, however, think that it's a catchy name, and I love the symbolism of a ferocious, dangerous beast that chooses to be kind. I relate to that. We all have a beast within us, and we can either choose to let it loose or keep it contained. For me, FriendlyBear is an outlet to release anger, frustration, passion, and creativity. The music has facets of both positive and negative emotions, but it would not be complete without both.”
About their sound:
"As the songwriter, my influences very much shape our sound. I'm very open-minded when it comes to music, and I have listened to many genres throughout my life; furthermore, I've drawn ideas from many different musical sources. I'd definitely say that many of my influences come from my teenage years in the ‘90s, listening to bands like Soundgarden, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Silverchair, Bad Religion, and Rage Against the Machine. Many of my other influences come from garage-rock and pop-punk bands in the recent 2000s. One of these bands is Adam's other band, The Two Tens. Seeing them live on many occasions gave me a huge burst of musical creativity that ultimately led to the creation of FriendlyBear. Adam draws from many years of experience in bands, though this is his first project on the bass guitar. FriendlyBear is Meg's first band, and her growth and experiences since our band's formation have helped us achieve a more well-rounded sound. Recently, she has begun contributing backup vocals as well. Her vocals on “Haunted House” really helped contribute to the eerie vibe toward the end of the song. "
