Not just a boy in Boy & Bear
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Not just a boy in Boy & Bear

Tim Hart, backing vocalist and drummer in Aussie indie-folk band, Boy & Bear, is going on tour to showcase his new record, The Narrow Corner.
Six years since his debut album Milling The Wind, Tim Hart brings his fans an honest account of his experiences and his emotions, delving from his struggle to meet societal expectations to his longing for home on his travels. The multi-talented Hart is as graceful as his music is refined, and he’s hitting the road this February to prove it.
As existing in a band is within your musical nature, what’s it like working on an individual project like this album?
It’s great. This is my second solo record. I really love that things are different from the band where there are five different opinions; there’s a lot of freedom when you’re working on your own in that sense. It took a long time to get finished but that was because Boy & Bear were so busy. I’m super happy with it.
Your single from the album, ‘I’d Do Well’, has already been very well received by fans of your music. What does this track mean to you?
It’s just about expectations. When you’re young and you’re first in the creative world, you have expectations for yourself and you feel like there’s a lot of expectations that people have for you. It’s about being a little disconnected and feeling like a bit of a fake – and I think everyone goes through that in whatever sort of work they do. I certainly went through that in the music world and that’s what this song is about.
I can imagine that a lot of your conversations with people like me come back to Boy and Bear. Though there are paralleling similarities between your collaborative and individual work, are your solo projects a reflection of the sound you’ve always wanted your listeners to know you for as an individual?
Interesting question. I don’t know if I set out to deliver a particular sound to my listeners. To me, it’s more about what the song wants; and that’s the same process in Boy & Bear. By the nature of the fact that there are five people working on it, you’re always going to get a different result. I love doing it because it lets me get something out that I need to. A lot of people in these interviews have been saying that it’s kind of an Australian sound and I find that to be a real compliment, so if that’s coming through then hopefully I’m just achieving something that’s honest. For me, that’s the ultimate goal.
It’s been six years since your debut album. Do you have any expectations for this tour?
No expectations this time. I just feel pretty fortunate to be doing it. The guys in the band have given me the time which is so lovely of them. I’m just really looking forward to it!
Release: The Narrow Corner out now.
When & Where: Sooki Lounge, Belgrave – February 15 & Wesley Anne, Northcote – February 16. Tickets available via www.oztix.com.au
Written by Hannah Kenny