More about: China BearsHello Tomorrow

For the latest instalment of our Hello Tomorrow feature, we’re shining the spotlight on China Bears. With twin brothers Ivan and Frazer Proctor taking care of guitars as well as vocals and backing vocals respectively, James Zealey on bass and Dean McCaw on drums, their sound unfurls as a package of unfaltering songwriting with whispers of The National and Dry The River. 

Today the band are unleashing their latest track ‘I’m Not Eating Like I Used To’ with an exclusive first spin on Gigwise. A long time staple in the band’s live shows, it’s delicate vocal delivery is bolstered by soaring guitar riffs. On the track Frazer divulges, “‘I’m Not Eating Like I Used To’ was one of the first songs we wrote when we all formed back in 2015. We had all just moved to university and were individually dealing with that, being away from everyone we knew and starting to make a new home in a new place. This song came out of those initial struggles and has been in and out of the setlist since then, going through a variety of versions, so it’s nice to have it finally out.”

The university in question is Guildford’s specialist music college ACM. The birthplace of bands like Sophie and the Giants and BlackWaters too. “So we all met at ACM in Guildford, we were all studying songwriting. It was nice to be in a place with likeminded people, and a good opportunity to move out of our hometowns and into a more vibrant music scene. Those were the initial years of this band, and we got to figure out what we wanted to be whilst playing to a bunch of mates all the time, so we can’t complain,” Ivan says of that time. “Sophie and the Giants and BlackWaters are good pals of ours, we were actually in the same classes. It’s been great to see all their successes, and they still let us sleep on their floors if we have a show in and around Sheffield.”

Last year the band released their debut EP I’ve Never Met Anyone Like You. Brimming with astute and sophisticated songwriting and enhanced by racing riffs and compelling percussion, it toes the line between thought-provoking and euphoric. Creating music has long been a renowned source of catharsis, but we wonder, on a personal level, can it be difficult to lay yourself bare like that? “It’s never really been an issue to summon those feelings, and if anything having an outlet such as songwriting has been a wonderful way of processing and dealing with whatever I’ve been going though at the time, and to try and create something good from the bad,” begins Ivan. “It can be hard to share this honesty with everyone, but when you can visibly see someone connecting and relating to a song you wrote, it helps you feel less alone.”

It’s a relevant sentiment as the band - along with the rest of the world - are socially distancing. Ivan explains how this has been affecting them at present, “We’re currently all in isolation, so separated for now apart from Frazer and I as we live together. I’m trying to find the balance between keeping up to date with how the situation is unfolding but also not falling into a pit of panic and despair [laughs]. Thankfully the band is a great distraction, we have a bunch of new songs we’re working on, so it’s been nice to write and spend more time playing my guitar. Although it was sad to have our SXSW trip cancelled and our Spring dates rescheduled, everyone is in the same boat and what’s important is to make sure everyone is safe. I’ve been doing my bit by buying bands merch and records and donating to venues' crowd funds to hopefully help them see through these testing times.” 

China Bears appear to be firmly focussed on the future though, with rescheduled live dates for later this year being announced today. The band will now play Southampton’s Heartbreakers on 28 August, The Sebright Arms in London on 10 September and then the Hope & Ruin in Brighton on 17 September. 

“Due to COVID-19, 2020 has been a quite disrupted so far. Playing SXSW would have been an absolute dream. so hopefully that’ll happen next year. Despite that, 2020 will continue to be another year of building China Bears. We have more music coming out and lots of live plans for once the dust has settled. We just want to get to go play as many places as possible and continue to write the music we like!”

More about: China BearsHello Tomorrow