Southern Sun

We say

It has indeed been a vintage year for Australian music and Boy & Bear, whose harmony-heavy, folk-inflected classic rock first pricked our ears in 2010, look set to kick 2014 off on a pretty strong footing with the release of their second album Harlequin Dream on January 13. The first, Moonfire, went platinum down under and bagged them an impressive five ARIA awards. Of that record singer Dave Hoskings says: "We were trying so hard to not sound like other bands. This time around we just followed what felt musical." Thank God they did, because following what felt musical apparently brought them to a sweetspot somewhere in the middle of Fleetwood Mac, America and Midlake, which of course is incontrovertibly A Good Thing. 6Music apparently agree, having added Southern Sun to their B list last week. Already no. 1 in Australia, Harlequin Dream was recorded at the legendary Alberts Studio, produced by the band and Wayne Connolly, and mixed by Seattle-based Phil Ek, whose previous credits - Band Of Horses, Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Father John Misty - can all be heard here too. Boy & Bear return to the UK for a run of shows in February, including a sold-out Village Underground on the 25th, another date now added on the 26th.

Contact

Label: Simon Morley, Nettwerk
Publishing: Sony ATV
Radio: Joe Mallott, Mallott Media
Press/Online: Meg Greenhorn, Nettwerk
Live: Lucy Dickins, ITB
Management: Wonderlick