"we get a bottle of baby oil and absolutely freak off!": WAR BEAR INTERVIEW
- Kirsty Shepherd
- Aug 10
- 4 min read
this week we got to chat with RAVI, vocalist of brisbane metalcore/hardcore band war bear, ABOUT BAND HISTORY, SONG WRITING, MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS, TOURING AND MORE.
How did War Bear choose its name?
Brenton and I (Ravi) actually were struggling for ages to come up with a band name that fit us and honestly, everything we came up with absolutely sucked! In the end we just figured we’d throw thinking about things out the window and just go for a name that felt utterly ridiculous and goofy! So WAR BEAR just came about as the first dumb thing we could think of, and nothing could top it!
War Bear is made up of members from other bands, how did the band come to foRm?
There’s been a number of member changes over the years but Brenton came from Ashes of December, Pete came from In The Walls and all three of us were in a band called As Paradise Falls. We also have Chris on drums who has played for all sorts of bands including Vessel Born, Copia and Like Thieves to name a few.
How has the reaction been to your latest single “Slug God”?
Slug God’s reception has been great! We’re already getting people yelling along and to be fair, it’s an angry little beast so that’s surprising! That track in particular is a bit of a departure from us and had our friend Spence from Where I Stand/Hang ‘Em High heavily involved in the writing so it’s different from the more standard War Bear tracks, but it bangs! It’s our special little love song to a special group of people.
You have your “Fear The Goo” tour THIS month in Victoria, any nerves?
We honestly have a few more nerves than usual as we’ve had some changes which has meant we’ve had to learn up on some things relatively quickly! But that’s we’re all thick skinned and know how to roll with the punches so we know we’re gonna have a great time with all our Southern friends!
Who are your biggest musical influences?
That can vary pretty drastically from member to member, I’ve got my roots in old school deathcore, metalcore and hardcore and the boys are similar but with a bit more of a
punk vibe to it.
If you could tour with any band who would it be?
I’m gonna say Comeback Kid! Their music has just had endless energy for years and they seem like they’d be a blast to hang with.
What does War Bear’s writing process look like?
We get a bottle of baby oil and absolutely freak off! In reality it’s a lot less risky and dull but usually Brenton writes an endless amount of riffs despite us telling him to settle down, then we pick the best and turn it into a full track! Vocals/lyrics are usually last because I’m a diva and want to have the final product in front of me before I commit to anything!
Do you have any plans for a full length album in the near future?
We have some ideas! But our overall plan is to keep releasing bite sized bundles of tracks that’s easily digestible for people and so it doesn’t get stale for us! We’ve got enough for probably two albums of music, but if we were to release it all at once there’d be so many wasted songs. We’d rather give you the ones we feel represent us best and then tie them all together as a full length when we’re ready (hint hint).
Who is an Australian artist that you would want to have featured on a War Bear track?
I’d say Harley from Total Buzzkill! That dude has an incredible dirty and clean voice and I think he’d contrast with my voice.
What has been the hardest War Bear song to write to date, and why?
The hardest songs for me aren’t the hardest to write, in fact they’re usually the easiest. My goal is always to try and tap into that raw emotion and just fuck myself up having to listen to it. So to date I’d say Don’t Be Afraid as I’d never done cleans before (and haven’t since) but I wanted to have write a song for my daughter. The song really deals with the concept of mortality and knowing that best case scenario, your child/ren will one day have to bury you. It’s my way of saying that no matter what happens I’ll always be there in some way shape or form watching over her, and pleading with her to not let whatever I look like at the end be the thing she remembers. “Please leave my casket closed, though I don’t believe in ghosts, I don’t want my face to haunt you even when my skin turns blue”. Pretty morbid but she loves that song.
Throughout your time touring, what is the biggest lesson you have learnt that you would want younger bands to know?
Be safe. Take your time and look after yourselves. Excitement is great and it’s some of the best fun you’ll ever have. But I’ve seen first hand what things can look like when things go really bad in another country and I don’t wish that on anyone. Some things are unavoidable but some things aren’t, just look after yourself and your crew so everyone can make it home and tell their stories. Australia is tough because we have so much goddamn distance between cities, so I always worry about younger bands doing massive drives if they aren’t used to it. They don’t need me to be their dad but it’s hard not to worry! Sorry Roronoah!
Is there any tour information/music release or general information you would like to share with the readers?
We will have something really exciting drop for the end of the year! It’s an experiment for us but we felt it was time to stretch ourselves a bit more and try some new cool things with some awesome friends! I’ve been working on it for ages and we’re nearly ready to drop it. Hopefully not long now!
War Bear will be touring in victoria between August 21-23, you can buy your tickets below:
For fans of: Comeback Kid, while she sleeps and the ghost inside
