Boy & Bear - Just To Be Kind (Radio Date: 23-09-2022)

Australian ARIA chart-topping act and indie royalty Boy & Bear share their newest single and video, “Just To Be Kind”, available now independently.

The second step in a new chapter, “Just to Be Kind” follows a jubilant return to music for Boy & Bear in 2022. In the wake of their previous single “State Of Flight”, an extensive national and regional tour throughout June and July, and a 10-year anniversary celebration of their ARIA double platinum album, Moonfire, today’s track is a fitting testament to the band’s timeless legacy in juxtaposing intimate and poignant lyricism with grand and uplifting indie-alt pop.

The irresistible beat of “Just To Be Kind” is wrapped in expansive synths and warm vocal hooks, asking deeper and open-ended questions to life and relationships from frontman, Dave Hosking. Mixed by Grammy Award-winning Tom Elhirst (James Blake, Adele, Frank Ocean), at New York’s Electric Lady Studios, Hosking’s harmonious croon fits the track’s framework itself, as a kind delivery that evokes a calm and conciliatory mood to recognising love in the face of tough decisions.

Directed by Liam Kelly (Tones and I, Masked Wolf), the single’s accompanying video spans vivid cityscapes and countryside solitude in an exploration of regret and letting go. Interspersed with scenes of Boy & Bear delivering an emotive performance, the clip follows the story of a woman who has passed away, as she grapples with the process of bidding her family farewell whilst embarking on a new journey.

Dave Hosking from the band says,“The song is simply about loving someone but having to let them go for reasons out of your own hands. I had some personal challenges about a year ago and it got me thinking about the future and whether or not I could settle down and have a family. In that moment, I felt a real sense of responsibility and I realised that I wouldn’t ask her to sacrifice all that just for me, that wouldn’t be fair.”

Sydney-bred Boy & Bear first rose to prominence in 2009, uploading their track “The Storm” to triple j Unearthed. Two years later, their debut album Moonfire, would go on to reach double platinum ARIA status, peaking at #2 on the ARIA chart, winning five ARIA awards including Album of the Year, and three spots in the triple j Hottest 100. In 2013, their sophomore album Harlequin Dream, would debut at ARIA’s #1 spot and go certified platinum. Their third album, Limit of Love would be their second #1 ARIA chart debut, and see them tour the world multiple times, become Splendour in the Grass festival favourites, perform on Conan O’Brien, and sell out two Sydney Opera House visits. While the band have enjoyed a ten-year career of outstanding accolades and cherished hits, they’ve also continued their reputation as one of the country’s best live acts, performing to upwards of 65,000 Australian fans every year, in addition to regular sold-out international tours. “State Of Flight” and “Just To Be Kind” are the band’s first independent releases, since their ARIA top 10 charting album, Suck On Light, released in 2019 to wide acclaim.