Grizzly Bear is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. For most of its tenure, the band has consisted of Edward Droste (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Daniel Rossen (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards), Chris Taylor (bass, backing vocals, woodwinds, production), and Christopher Bear (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The band employed both traditional and electronic instruments, and their sound has been categorized as chamber pop, psychedelic folk, and art rock. The band was known for their use of vocal harmony, with all four members contributing vocals and lead vocals alternating between Rossen and Droste.
Initially a solo project for Droste, the first Grizzly Bear album, Horn of Plenty (2004), was a lo-fi studio project released on Kanine Records. The album featured drumming contributions from Bear, who would go on to join the project full-time in 2004, alongside Taylor and Rossen for live performances. Performing as a four-piece, the resulting chemistry turned Grizzly Bear into a band of equal collaborators, with Rossen becoming its co-lead vocalist and second principal songwriter, and Taylor adopting the role of producer and multi-instrumentalist. The band's second studio album, Yellow House, was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2006 and was the first to feature the full Grizzly Bear band.
Preceded by the single "Two Weeks", the band's third studio album, Veckatimest (2009), increased their exposure significantly, reaching #8 on the Billboard 200 and selling over 220,000 copies. After extensive touring, the band reconvened for the more experimental and expansive album, Shields, which was released to further acclaim in 2012. The band's fifth studio album, Painted Ruins, was released in 2017. Following the album's accompanying tour, the band entered an extended hiatus,[7] with Droste announcing that he had left the band in 2020.[8]
History
Beginnings and Horn of Plenty (2002–2005)
Grizzly Bear began as a moniker for songwriter Ed Droste's music in the early 2000s. Regarding the band's origins as a solo project, Droste noted, "It was just like doing a little home project, and I thought "oh, this is fun, I'm just going to call this stuff Grizzly Bear. [...] Our name was actually just a nickname for an old boyfriend of mine."[9]
In 2004, Droste released Grizzly Bear's debut album, Horn of Plenty. Predominately a solo album, the album featured contributions from future drummer Christopher Bear.[10]Rolling Stone magazine wrote of the first album, "the pure atmospheric power of the songs is more than enough to hypnotize."[11]
Droste and Bear were subsequently joined by bass guitarist and producer Chris Taylor, and performed four shows together as a three-piece. Regarding these shows, Droste noted, "We've never played without the four of us, really. The first couple shows we did before we knew Dan [Rossen], we did with three of us and they kind of sucked. From the get-go, when we were trying to put together a live show, that's when we discovered our sound and that's why I think that was the beginning of the band."[12]
Guitarist and vocalist Daniel Rossen, a friend of Bear's from jazz-camp,[9][10] joined the band soon after. Rossen stated, "For a long time, I only played my songs to close friends; and it just happened that I lived with Chris Taylor during my second year of college, so he heard them. He was my entrance into Grizzly Bear. He joined the band first, then after a while he suggested I come in with these songs. [...] When I joined, I did about two rehearsals with them, worked out one of my songs to put into the set, then a week later we were out on the road for a two-month tour. It was a real trial-by-fire thing. I was close with Chris and Chris [Bear], but I didn’t know Ed [Droste] at all; it was weird getting to know a stranger by spending all day in the same car."[13]
Regarding the decision to turn Grizzly Bear into a full band, Droste noted: "I was quite happy to relinquish the idea of being a solo artist. I hate the thought of being under a spotlight with my guitar, mumbling into a microphone. It's horribly scary to me."[6]
Their first record as a quartet and to feature material written by Rossen, Yellow House, was released on Warp Records in September 2006. It was named for Droste's mother's house where it was recorded[15] and ranked as one of the top albums of 2006 by The New York Times and Pitchfork. In 2007, Rossen recorded a cover of JoJo's single "Too Little Too Late" for Droste's twenty-ninth birthday.[16] Also in 2007, the band released Friend, an EP which features outtakes, alternate versions of songs, and covers of Grizzly Bear material done by Cansei de Ser Sexy (CSS), Band of Horses, and Atlas Sound. In addition, members of the Dirty Projectors and Beirut collaborated with the band on "Alligator" and the EP's hidden track.[17]
Veckatimest (2008–2010)
In summer of 2008, Grizzly Bear opened for Radiohead on the second leg of their North American tour.[18] In Toronto, on their last date of the tour together, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood spoke of his love for Grizzly Bear, on stage, calling them his favorite band.[19] Of the experience, Taylor has commented: “It was shocking, and kind of unbelievable. It still is unbelievable. Opening for Radiohead was a huge honor for us, as a band and as individuals. We’ve all had long-term relationships with Radiohead’s music, so we didn’t want to take that opportunity for granted, and do anything less than the best we could."[20] Christopher has also commented that it "was like a dream."[21]
The group then convened at a house on Cape Cod to solidify their third full-length album, Veckatimest, which released in May 2009 and was named "after a tiny, uninhabited island on Cape Cod that the band visited and was inspired by, particularly liking its Native American name."[22] Upon release the album reached No.8 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and met with widespread critical acclaim. Chris Bear has noted that compared to Yellow House, the 2009 release Veckatimest is more of an accessible pop record. He said: "I think that it’s kinda clearer, clearer equals more accessible I feel like clearer equals more accessible in general as a rule."[23]Veckatimest made many Top Album lists for 2009 (#1 Wall Street Journal, No.6 Pitchfork, No.6 New York Times, No.8 Time).[24]
In 2009, Grizzly Bear collaborated with singer Victoria Legrand on the song "Slow Life" for The Twilight Saga: New Moon. The song is featured in the film as Bella sees an illusion of Edward underwater.
In March 2012, Daniel Rossen released a solo EP, Silent Hour/Golden Mile, consisting of tracks he had written for the band's forthcoming album, but were not used.[26]
On June 5, 2012, the song "Sleeping Ute" from their then-untitled upcoming studio album was posted on the band's website, along with the album's track listing.[27] The band also announced tour dates in conjunction with the release of the song, which coincided with the release date of the album. On July 9, 2012, the band revealed the album's title to be Shields.[28]
On September 4, 2012, the album leaked on the internet. Then on September 10, the album was available for an early listen via the NPR website.[29]
Grizzly Bear was scheduled to headline and curated ATP's I'll Be Your Mirror festival at Alexandra Palace in London, UK on May 5, 2013. However, after the event was initially postponed to November 2013, I'll Be Your Mirror was cancelled in August due to "problems with the venue and new date".[30]
On September 17, 2013, the track "Will Calls (Marfa Demo)" was debuted, together with the announcement of two expanded Shields re-releases, followed by the song "Listen and Wait (Bonus Track)" on October 30.[31] The re-releases, Shields: Expanded and Shields: B-sides, were released on November 11, 2013[32] and include eight B-side remixes, five unreleased songs, and three remixes sold in two formats: a two-CD set and 12"180 grams (6.3oz) vinyl.[33]
In January 2014, Grizzly Bear closed out their international Shields tour with a sold-out performance at the Sydney Opera House. The performance was streamed live internationally on YouTube.[34]
Painted Ruins (2015–2019)
Following the completion of the Shields tour, Daniel Rossen embarked upon a solo tour performing tracks from his debut EP, and his other band, Department of Eagles. During the tour, Rossen commented on the future of Grizzly Bear, stating: "We don't have a clear plan. We tend to like to let the records come together naturally. I think everyone wants a little bit of a break and everyone's scattered around the globe. I think towards the end of the year, if it feels natural, we'll start again." In a more recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, singer Ed Droste explained that a new album was in the works. Unlike the recording process for Shields, where Grizzly Bear ensconced themselves at studios in Marfa, Texas and Cape Cod, Massachusetts to construct a truly collaborative album, Droste says the creative process was "more fractured." While two members still live in New York, the other half, including Droste, have traded coasts and now reside in Los Angeles. As of June 2016, Droste had been working on the next album with the rest of Grizzly Bear.[35][36]
On April 4, 2017, Grizzly Bear posted a short video clip to their website and Instagram account[37]—presumably a demo or sample from their upcoming album. Later, they uploaded a number of clips (all brief and without lyrics) with increasing frequency. On May 5, 2017, the song "Three Rings" was released onto Vevo. Soon after, on May 17, 2017, a new single, "Mourning Sound" was released, and a new album was announced titled Painted Ruins.[38] As promotion, a third track "Four Cypresses" was released onto the band's Vevo on June 23, 2017. A fourth promotion single was released on July 21, 2017 titled "Neighbors".
On August 18, 2017 Painted Ruins was released to positive reviews.[39][40][41][42] The album was followed by a music video for the track "Losing All Sense," released onto the band's Vevo on September 28, 2017, featuring actresses Busy Philipps and Freckle.[43]
Ed Droste's departure and extended hiatus (2020–present)
In 2020, Ed Droste confirmed that he had departed from the band and had enrolled in school to become a therapist. His departure was not announced publicly, but was confirmed during a podcast appearance in 2020.[44] Discussing his departure from the band in November 2023, Droste noted: "I guess the decision came when I realized I didn't like the lifestyle in the band, which wasn't sustainable for me. I wasn't feeling healthy anymore, and so I just decided to try something new. [...] It was just difficult at the end for me and a bit of it was losing its luster, I suppose. And never say never. There's no official breakup or anything. I'm just doing this for now and who knows what'll happen in the future."[45]
Daniel Rossen and Chris Bear continued to work together closely during the band's hiatus. At first collaborating with Fleet Foxes on the track "Cradling Mother, Cradling Woman" from their 2020 album, Shore. Rossen released his debut solo album, You Belong There, in April 2022, which featured significant contributions from Bear throughout. The pair composed the soundtrack to the 2023 film, Past Lives, which was released on A24 Music.
In an interview promoting You Belong There, Rossen confirmed that Grizzly Bear is currently on hiatus. "There's no official line here," Rossen said. "I still work closely with Chris Bear, I still talk with Chris Taylor fairly often — he lives in Spain now. Ed and I are still in contact, but he needs a little distance from us for personal reasons. He's pursuing a different career. We may do something again. When those [Painted Ruins] tours ended, I was about to have a child, Chris Taylor just had his son, Chris Bear has a family, he was pursuing other work. It made sense to have a break there to do other things. We've always taken time between records. I don't know what the future holds. I think for now it's safe to say we're inactive, but I'm very reluctant to make some grand statement like, 'We've broken up!' I don't trust that, especially because people come back together again. I think it's entirely possible that we could, I just don't know."[7]
Rossen elaborated in a further interview: "I think where we are now is just a very natural — you know, Grizzly Bear, I joined that band at the end of 2004, so you consider how long that was. The stretch that we were active was like 14 years. And I think if anything it’s just like, people change, lives change. I really respect bands and artists that can keep it together forever, but I think we all just wanted to do some different things with our lives for a little bit. That doesn’t mean the band’s over. It’s not. There’s no official line on that. We’re not broken up or anything. It’s just, you know, Ed is pursuing a different career. He went back to school. He wanted to do that. He was having not the most productive time on the road. It was not great for him. It wasn’t really great for any of us by the end, honestly. It was just… we wanted to do something different."[46] In November 2023, Ed Droste suggested that the band could regroup in the future: "It's not a destroyed entity. It can easily come back and exist if the time is right and the mood is right."[45]
Philanthropy
In 2009, Grizzly Bear contributed "Service Bell" (with Feist) and "Deep Blue Sea" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night produced by the Red Hot Organization.[47] That same year they also released a charity T-shirt via the Yellow Bird Project, to raise money for the Brighter Planet Foundation.[48]
Yellow House is the second studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear, released on September 5, 2006, by Warp Records. Produced by bass guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor, the album's title refers to vocalist Ed Droste's mother's house where the majority of recording took place.
Horn of Plenty is the debut studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear, released on November 9, 2004, by Kanine Records. Primarily a solo album by founding member Edward Droste, the album also features contributions from future drummer Christopher Bear. In 2006, the band released an EP, Sorry for the Delay, featuring tracks recorded during the same time period.
Department of Eagles is an American duo formed in New York in 2000, consisting of Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus.
Friend is an EP by the Brooklyn-based band Grizzly Bear, their first release following the critically acclaimed Yellow House. It was released on November 5, 2007 on Warp Records. The EP has tracks recorded during sessions for the Yellow House album, as well as covers of their songs by Band of Horses, CSS and Atlas Sound.
Edward Droste is an American singer-songwriter, licensed therapist, and musician, formerly of the rock band Grizzly Bear. The group began as the solo effort of Droste with the release of 2004's Horn of Plenty, originally released on Kanine Records. All songs were written and performed by Droste. By 2005, the group expanded into a four-piece, with Droste still as a contributing songwriter. He left the group in 2020.
Daniel Raphael Rossen is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of the indie rock band Grizzly Bear, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Rossen is also one half of the duo Department of Eagles with Fred Nicolaus.
Christopher Robert Bear is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist member of the Brooklyn-based indie-rock group Grizzly Bear.
Christopher Taylor is an American multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and producer of the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Taylor also records solo material under the moniker CANT, releasing his debut album, Dreams Come True, in 2011.
In Ear Park is the second album by Department of Eagles. It was released by 4AD on October 7, 2008. The inspiration for the album is noted to come from Daniel Rossen's childhood experiences, most notably memories of those related to his father. The album is dedicated to his father, who died in 2007. In an interview for a 4AD DUMBO Session, Rossen reflected on the inspiration for the title of the album, quoting, "It was a nickname for a park that I used to go to with my dad, when I was a kid, and there was an interactive statue that looked like a giant ear...so we called it In Ear Park".
Veckatimest is the third studio album by the American rock band Grizzly Bear, released on May 26, 2009, by Warp Records. The album is named after Veckatimest Island, a small island in Dukes County, Massachusetts. Produced by bassist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor, the album entered the US Billboard 200 at #8, selling 33,000 copies in its first week of release. By September 2012, the album had sold around 220,000 copies in the US. In 2010, it was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.
Robin Noel Pecknold is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct baritenor voice and introspective lyrics.
"While You Wait for the Others" is a song by Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and the second single from the band's third studio album, Veckatimest. The song was released as a single on August 31, 2009.
"Two Weeks" is a song by the American indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and the first single from the band's third studio album, Veckatimest. Featuring backing vocals from Victoria Legrand, singer and organist for the dream pop duo Beach House, it was released as a single on June 1, 2009. The song's debut live performance was on the Late Show with David Letterman in July 2008.
Silent Hour/Golden Mile is the debut solo EP by American musician Daniel Rossen, released on March 20, 2012 by Warp Records. The self-produced EP comprises tracks Rossen had initially written for Grizzly Bear's fourth studio album, Shields (2012).
Shields is the fourth studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear, released on September 18, 2012, by Warp Records. Written and recorded following a six-month hiatus from band activities, the album was produced by bassist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor. Preceded by the singles, "Sleeping Ute" and "Yet Again", an expanded version of Shields, entitled Shields Expanded, was released on November 12, 2013, featuring additional tracks recorded during the sessions, demo recordings and remixes. The eight additional tracks were issued as a separate mini-album, entitled Shields: B-Sides.
"Sleeping Ute" is a song by American indie rock band Grizzly Bear, and the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Shields (2012). The song features lead vocals by guitarist Daniel Rossen.
"Yet Again" is a song by American indie rock band Grizzly Bear, released as the second single from the band's fourth studio album, Shields (2012), on August 2, 2012.
Shields: B-Sides is a compilation mini-album by American indie rock band Grizzly Bear, released on November 11, 2013, on Warp Records. The release is available on 12" vinyl and on digital download, and features eight tracks, five of which were recorded during the same sessions that yielded the band's fourth studio album, Shields (2012). The tracks were also released simultaneously on an extended version of the full-length album, entitled Shields: Expanded.
The discography of Grizzly Bear includes five studio albums, five extended plays and eight singles. Grizzly Bear is an American alternative rock band that was formed in 2002 by Ed Droste. After the band's first studio album was released, Droste was joined by drummer Christopher Bear, bass guitarist and producer Chris Taylor, and guitarist Daniel Rossen.
Painted Ruins is the fifth studio album by American rock band Grizzly Bear, released on August 18, 2017, by RCA Records. Along with the announcement of the album, the band announced a fall European and North American tour.
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