Interview with Black Bear Kiss: ‘Reach Up Higher’ is about trying to do better and not believing everything you read’

West Midlands-based five-piece indie rock band Black Bear Kiss’ latest single, ‘Reach Up Higher’, came out last week (4 September) and showcases their trademark upbeat, thumpingly rifftastic, melodic style, whilst criticizing the power of the media and its influence on people.

‘The song addresses some of the big issues, both home and abroad,’ said lead singer Chris Leech. ‘It’s like a nice punch in the face! The press and public figures in positions of power need to understand the influence they have – their opinions should not be treated as gospel. ‘Reach Up Higher’ is about trying to do better and not believing everything you read, especially on social media.’

In addition to Leech, Black Bear Kiss comprises Rob Jones (rhythm guitar), Chris Bagnall (drums), Rich Sach (bass) and Colin Hayden (lead guitar).

‘Reach Up Higher’ marks a change for the band, using a new studio and producer – Gavin Monaghan at Magic Garden Studios – who has worked with artists such as Robert Plant, Editors, The Twang and The Sherlocks. 

‘The studio is full of musical heirlooms that they let you use,’ Leech said. ‘So we used a tambourine in the mix used by Marc Bolan at the Royal Albert Hall. We didn’t dare to tap it too hard! In our next song, we’ve used a guitar that New Order has used. ‘

‘People refresh their timelines but will never get to the end’

One song that will resonate with a lot of people is one of the band’s upcoming songs, ‘Begin Again’, which is about the dangers of social media: ‘Having lockdown, it was having time to just stop and not run 100 miles an hour. I have two young kids so it was just nice to see more of them,’ he said. ‘This one is about how social media takes over people’s lives. People refresh their timelines but will never get to the end. Does it even mean much to anyone? A lot of people can’t put their phones down. It’s one of my favourites of our songs so far because it has meaning and is impactful. Once I strike upon a theme like this, it becomes easier for me.’

Another song, ‘When I break’ is an introspective piece about ‘things being all or nothing’, according to Leech. ‘It’s about critiquing yourself’, he said. Also set for release is ‘Combustible’ which is about having energy for life and other people.

‘You’re putting the next generation on your shoulder and trying to make the world a better place’

‘I Wanna Know’, which came out last year, is about setting standards: ‘It’s about holding yourself to account but also others,’ he said. ‘You’re putting the next generation on your shoulder and trying to make the world a better place.’ Their first song, ‘Hooks’, which came out in 2018, turns traditional storytelling on its head, with a twist at the end. ‘A guy goes for a drink in the pub and meets a girl who isn’t what she seems,’ Leech said. ‘We recorded the video for it in this pub with lots of weird ornaments and stuffed animals!’ (In the video, the woman drags the man off to seduce him but ends up attacking him. When he escapes, he finds everyone in the pub is dead.)

They managed to write a lot of demos in lockdown: ‘Rob kickstarted the writing process, I’ll then listen to it to death [laughs] before thinking about lyrics and melodies. We’ve got a studio session next month and might have time for another one this year. We’ve got plenty of songs in the tank, around 7-9 that we could record tomorrow.’

Formed in late 2016, Black Bear Kiss have consistently evolved their unique sound of groove driven guitar riffs and anthemic style choruses. They draw from a wealth of influences such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kasabian, Oasis, The Black Keys, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

The band’s name was pulled from a news story, according to Leech: ‘We saw a story in the news about this lady in Canada who did yoga outside and she felt a lick on the back of her neck – it was a black bear! It just licked her and walked back into the woods, so we thought, yeah, we can use that!’

Some of the members of Black Bear Kiss know each other from previous bands. Leech and and Jones used to play in Ever Ready together, which has since disbanded. They met Bugnall down the pub ‘to see if his ideas fit’, which they clearly did.

They have diverse influences between them, albeit with some overlap, given that they are all big Foo Fighters fans. Leech also cites Rise Against, an American punk rock band, as one of his favourites, along with Queens of the Stone Age ‘because they straddle rock and funk’ and The Black Keys. ‘Rob likes Nirvana and our bassist likes Guns ‘N’ Roses. I wouldn’t want us all to be the same. We’re better when everyone brings something different to the table.’

If he could collaborate with anyone, he’d go with Dave Grohl or English rock duo, Royal Blood: ‘They’re quite riff-based like us. Or I’d pick the Chilis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) because they’re about having a good time like us.’

(Photo from left to right: Rob, Chris, Chris (drums at back), Rich and Colin)