Q: “Mr Sam” is so lyrically and musically unique. What was the inspiration behind this song?
BEAR: The inspiration around this song was really unique too. Adrien had composed the instrumental track with this deep and repetitive bass line, and as soon as he submitted the track to me, I felt very inspired and found the melody almost immediately. The next step was writing the lyrics. I needed a really strong topic to support such a hard and shocking sound. Listening to the instrumental made me feel oppressed as I imagined some violence in the story of this song. That’s how I began to imagine the story of a man who is mistreated by society and accepts this violence to fit in it.
Q: The music video that accompanies this track has a lot of dark yet visually stunning imagery. What was your creative process like in creating it?
BEAR: What is it like, as a musician, to dabble in other art forms and/or work with others who do? Adrien and I are very interested in arts in general, and particularly in cinema. Adrien has a great experience as a film composer and as far as I’m concerned, I need to project some images in my mind when I create a song. I need to visualize the story when I write lyrics. For “Mr Sam,” when I thought about this clown, a poor man who wants to be loved and accepted by the group even if he had to become someone else, I had in my mind the candlesticks scene of “The Beauty and The Beast” by Jean Cocteau, with these disturbing hands. I have imagined different scenes, the make-up, the colors, the atmosphere. As well, I am so lucky to work with Joakim, who brings my ideas further, with an implementation perspective for filming. Lionel, the director of photography, and Adrien proposed ideas too. I also worked with two friends and great dancers: Joris and Thaïs. We worked together on different scenes you can see in the music video. I am so grateful to have met Ronny, who is a very creative robot dancer. Actually, this project was a fantastic display of teamwork!
Q: How do you think this track is different from your previous releases?
BEAR: It’s almost the opposite. We released our first single “Hidden Side” on September 2022, which is an intimate track about anxiety, fears, and weaknesses. I am the only protagonist in the music video and it’s a very slow and contemplative atmosphere. On the other side, “Mr Sam” depicts violence and a sort of madness. This second track is repetitive, dancing with an EDM feel. As I said, even if we worked with the same technical team for these two music videos: Joakim Coutouly and Lionel Pesqué, more people have intervened in this project. In a way, we can say that it is a choral music video because it highlights the evolution of different characters through the same story.
Q: The vocal performance here is really impressive! Who is BEAR’s singer most inspired by vocally?
BEAR: Thank you. I have always listened to singers and this is a really hard question because I think I have been influenced by a lot. Among those who inspired me the most, I could quote Kate Bush, Björk, Robert Plant, Michael Jackson, and Peter Gabriel.
Q: Tell us what your plans for the future are! We’d love to know what’s coming next from BEAR.
BEAR: Our next single “Foreigner” is currently in production. It will be released in a few months. Can’t wait to share it with you!
Q: Any parting words for your fans/supporters?
BEAR: This project is only in its early stages, but Adrien and I are really touched and impressed by the enthusiasm of people. We’d just like to thank you for everything guys! Feel free to share our music videos and tracks, and talk about BEAR around you, the adventure has just begun!
Interviewed by Alyce Lindberg
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