Vancouver band, Lion Bear Fox, blends folk, roots, rock, gospel and blues — all connected by the three members’ powerful voices — and they’ll be at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on March 10.
Lion Bear Fox is three huge voices joined as one, telling the truth through compelling story, honest narrative and unbridled passion. Three men going to war onstage every night to share a message of hope, vulnerability and redemption.
With over three decades combined experiences in song writing, touring and recording, the trio is now ready to share their self-titled debut full-length album, which was released last month.
Originally known for their respective solo careers, Christopher Arruda (the lion), Cory Woodward (the bear) and Ryan McMahon (the fox), joined forces as Lion Bear Fox in 2012 and was immediately selected as one of the top 20 unsigned bands in British Columbia (Peak Performance Project).
The fall of 2013 saw the band release their self-produced breakthrough EP, We’d Be Good Men, and take Western Canada by storm, touring 15 times over the next two years, including stops at Canadian Music Week (Toronto), Contact East (PEI), OSAC (Regina) Mission Folk Festival and The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. They have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with artists like Tom Wilson, Good For Grapes, Elliot Brood and Kim Mitchell.
In 2016 the group further cemented themselves as the new Canadian band to watch. With the help of friend and producer, Nygel Asselin (Half Moon Run), the trio spent ten days in the Vancouver Island wilderness, crafting “the record of their lives” – a collection of songs steeped in character and full of warmth.
One part folk, one part rock, a pinch of gospel and a dash of growl, the self-titled LP is a testament to the trio’s strength as songwriters. Lush acoustic guitars are bookended by buzzing electrics and screaming organs; all tied together by rich percussion and three voices in mighty harmony. It’s a sound that harkens back to an era when the song was paramount.
“The new album was a big undertaking for us all – our producer Nygel included – and it certainly marks a shift in sound and seriousness for Chris, Cory and myself,” says McMahon. “When we use the phrase ‘record of our lives,’ we’re not kidding.”
“This is an album of three men telling their truths together through art they believe in,” Arruda continues. “When people ask us how this album sounds, we’ve taken to saying ‘it sounds like truth.’ In the studio, we were both fearless and relentless in our approach to crafting this album. We tore these songs apart and put them back together over and over again, in an attempt to make something that sounded timeless. The songs have elements of rock, folk, blues and gospel but ultimately, I think we were successful in building a sonic-landscape where our three voices sat on top of the instrumentation. We didn’t let the music get in the way of the song, or the story.”
Lion Bear Fox is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on March 10 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, and $30 for youth and can be purchased at The Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).
