I was immediately struck by the mournful violins on Whiskey Bear’s new single “How We Go.” Based in Manila but hailing from many corners of the world, the contemplative nature of the band’s upcoming single stands in contradiction to the stories they tell in the interview below. The band wrote their own intro, so you can read a little more about them, but we also talked about sentimental gifts from fans, the wildest shows they’ve played, and building connections with listeners everywhere, even when you can’t travel.
Whiskey Bear is made up of Carl from Wisconsin(Bass/Keys/Vocals), Emma from Scotland (Fiddle/Mandolin), Nicole from New Jersey(Guitar, Uke, Vocals) and me, Michael from Texas (guitar, vocals, percussion). We all have a role in the songwriting process, but I wrote this one. Because of this, I took on the role of answering the interview questions. We are all expats who met in the Philippines. We are all quite nomadic but mainly record out of Manila in our home studio. We spend a fair amount of time in the US and had a small UK tour booked, but covid has really shut down our live-show ambitions for now. Everything we do is DIY (except mastering), and we are always focusing on improvement. We have an exciting set of singles to be released over the next several months, starting with How We Go. Here is the presave link https://ffm.to/o1ppgam.owe
Tell us about your favorite show you’ve ever played.
As a new band starting out in the Philippines, there are a lot of really unique shows that come to mind. We once played a gig at an outdoor trapeze, which turned out to be the opening act for a striptease put on by the acrobats, wearing clown noses and dancing to “It’s Raining Men.” We’ve also felt a little misplaced, playing a nightclub on the Jersey Shore on a Sunday afternoon, or preparing to take the stage after a high-energy Irish cover band whose cajon player sliced his hand while opening a bottle of beer with his tambourine and spent the entire set bleeding all over his cajon. These are all memorable, but I think our favorite shows are always the ones that feel like family. We used to regularly play a small Japanese whiskey bar on High Street in Manila, called Lit, and it felt like coming home. We’d be packed in with friends, with people who heard us on the street and stopped in for a highball. It’s the same feeling we caught playing Abolitionist Ale Works in West Virginia and Jamian’s in New Jersey, when our families and friends who’d been following us online got to see us live for the first and only time. We love how music brings people together, and those shows did exactly that.
Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?
Yes! Recently a fan named Matt heard our song “Black Narcissus Perfume” and asked about the lyrics. I told him it was a tribute to the Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers, which sparked some nostalgia for him. Soon after he sent me a Carter Family vinyl record that had belonged to his late father. I can’t tell you how honored I feel. I will treasure it forever.
Who would you love to collaborate with? Why?
We are fans of music first and foremost, and we often sit around daydreaming about playing music with various massively talented artists. For me, however, great songwriters hold a mythical position. I would love to write a song with Gregory Alan Isakov because his lyrics and vocal melodies are so casually masterful or Nathaniel Rateliff because of how much emotion and humanity he squeezes into each line.
Recent release you cannot stop listening to?
“Loretta” by Aoife O’Donovan and Taylor Ashton is probably a year old, but I have been listening to it a lot these past few weeks. It’s so good and fits my recent mood. It’s obviously a field recording and you can just feel the room. The songwriting is so beautiful. Such a great tune!
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
Aside from the usual streaming, following, sharing, etc., for which we are very grateful, we actually love interacting and getting to know our fans as people. We used to do this at shows. The current situation being what it is, we have moved the conversation to Instagram. We have a small but engaged audience now which suits our vibe. We love to interact, hear from real people, talk music, and show a little bit more of who we really are. Come see us on Instagram @whiskeybearband.