In the midst of what could be the largest movement in folk-rock music since the 1960’s, revolutionary sounds from bands such as The Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, Arcade Fire, The Felice Brothers, and Mumford & Sons open new doors. With a similar sound and an admirable aspiration, Jack & the Bear were birthed in the downriver town of Monroe, Michigan in the summer of 2010.

Named after an inspirational figure in lead singer Brandon James’ life along with the initials of the founding members of the group, the five-piece band hit the ground running with the writing of their first self-titled EP, which received a self-distributed release in the spring of 2011.

With the core of the group being made of two sets of brothers, an outlier family friend and a sister collaborating comes comfortably and naturally to the band. Writers Brandon James and Reginald (Ryan) Servis provide a unique blend of two musical backgrounds; traditional guitar styling’s of artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Glen Hansard meet new-wave cascading instrumentals found in songs of Fleet Foxes and Beirut. The use of four part harmony and instruments such as banjo, mandolin, trumpet, and accordion in many of their songs set the group aside from many others.

More recently the group just set foot with their second EP release “The Stranger Amongst the Loyal” which was produced/engineered entirely by the bands drummer Adam Schreiber. Adam recently opened up his own studio, “White Wagon” and is take on new projects along with handling Jack & the Bear releases.

Jack & the Bear started off attempting to form a sound like many folk rockers around today but ended up walking into a new sound all their own. They have been compared to artists such as The Waterboys, Springsteen, and even Tom Waits. Their live show is another story that is completely unique to them; something that is a must see for any fan of live performance. They’ve shared the stage with acts such as Deer Tick, Hayes Carll, Nicole Atkins, Dr. Dog, The White Rabbits, Langhorne Slim, The Felice Brothers, Soja, Jessica Lea Mayfield, The David Mayfield Parade, and countless other national acts.

The group set off on their first tour of the East Coast in the summer of 2012 to reach out to new fans. They returned home with lots of inspiration, new songs, new friends, new fans and loads of success which included licensing negotiations with MTV’s Music Integration Department.

Now consisting of seven members (and manager Jake Nielsen) the band has matured and carried on to a whole new level with the addition of another female violinist Elizabeth Burroughs. With the release of their third EP “The Trade,” the band is now looking toward recording their first full-length album at Prairie Sun Studios with Grammy Award Winning producer Oz Fritz.

Fritz has produced a number of albums with the legendary Tom Waits, including 1999’s critically acclaimed “Mule Variations.” Given this information it should be obvious that Fritz is a man that understands the unique dynamics of Jack & the Bear. Undoubtedly, the band is looking forward to building a working relationship with Mr. Fritz and hope to release their debut LP in the summer of 2013.

Music born out of cornfields, cold winters and rust belt love letters. Folk and roll songs about dead ends and new beginnings. Warm blankets and wet blankets. Heartbreakers and handwarmers.

Midwest is a female-fronted folk ‘n’ roll band from Chicago, born out of cornfields, cold winters and rust belt love letters. The sound is heavily inspired by Americana, Singer/Songwriter, and Motown music, with influences that can be traced from Patsy Cline and Heart, to the Head and the Heart and The Lone Bellow.

Formed in late 2012, principle songwriter and lead vocalist, Nicolette Verone, having written a new group of songs following the amicable break up of her former band (Tiger Cry), shared them with now back-up vocalist, Heather Bodie. From late summer to early fall, Verone and Bodie crafted the strong vocal harmonies and cultivated a truly home-grown, midwestern sound. It was around this time when Bodie brought in violinist, Dave Belden, whom added the touch of melancholy to their warm and rich voices. Soon after, they added upright bassist, Joshua Sauvegeau (formerly of Tiger Cry), guitarist, keyboardist and harmonica player, Andy Lutz, and percussionist Nate Ross. The sound is built around the foundation of those sweet, swelling 2 and 3-part vocal harmonies and driven by the strong backbeat of the bass.

An indie folk soul band from Bloomington IN