It took Christopher Arruda (The Lion), Cory Woodward (The Bear) and Ryan McMahon (The Fox) more than 30 years to find each other, but only one month for this “musical force of nature” (according to The Nanaimo Daily News) to realize they were meant to join their voices as one.
In May, 2012, the three men set out on tour to promote their respective solo efforts.
Over wine, campfires, nights in cheap hotel rooms and woodland cabins, an unshakable bond began to form. They shared stories of their lives, successes and failures in the music industry, and ultimately their dreams of what they hoped to accomplish as artists.
Three big voices began to support each other during shows and at the tour’s conclusion, they had a set-list worth of material. Something that had come together so naturally, so organically, simply had to be allowed to grow.
And grow it has.
In the three years since the band’s inaugural show, The Lion, The Bear, The Fox have made a name for themselves across western Canada.
And now the threesome is about to hit the stage in Vernon, when they perform as part of the next Vernon Folk-Roots Music Society concert, Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Powerhouse Theatre.
“All three artists are known for the passion they bring to their performances and the honest songs they write,” wrote Black Press paper, The Ladysmith Chronicle, and the men have succeeded in creating gripping, dynamic songs while capturing a sincerity rarely heard this side of the 2000s.
Bridging the gap between Vancouver, where The Lion and The Bear dwell, and Ladysmith, where The Fox resides, is only a testament to their collective commitment of creating their brand of passionately honest songs.
After securing a top 20 position on The Peak’s prestigious Peak Performance Project, the band released their debut EP, We’d Be Good Men, in October, 2013 and went on to celebrate the effort in numerous sold-out venues across B.C. and Alberta.
The self-produced record is steeped in character with performances captured in bedrooms, hallways, board rooms and open-spaces across B.C.
The momentum continued last year as the band delivered their energetic brand of “stomp rock” to the U.S. and beyond.
Amidst the chaos, The Lion, The Bear, The Fox has also started a life-long partnership with Music Heals, a charity that advocates, fundraises and creates awareness for music therapy across Canada.
Having been touched personally by its effectiveness, the band’s initiative (bandwagonproject.com) aims to increase the use of mobile recording studios in a wide array care facilities, from patients facing life altering diagnosis, to schools and retirement homes.
The Vernon Folk-Roots Music Society brings The Lion, The Bear, The Fox to the Vernon Powerhouse Theatre Sunday, Sept. 13 with opening act, Olivia.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6.45 p.m. Tickets are $20 (members $15) at the Bean Scene, TicketSeller or at www.vernonfolkroots.com. Tickets will also be available at the door (if available).;
