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UK folk-rockers Bear's Den formed in London in 2012 and gained prominence in 2014 for their debut album Islands. Composed of Andrew Davie (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Kevin Jones (vocals, drums, bass, guitar), and Joey Haynes (vocals, banjo, guitar), they began sharpening their style across two EPs (2012's EP and 2013's Agape) and live shows, touring the UK as a support for Smoke Fairies in 2012 and Matt Corby in Australia in 2013. After receiving the £2,500 Momentum Deezer Award from the PRS for Music Foundation in June 2014, they set about releasing their debut album, which arrived later that year. Released through British folkie staple Communion Records – the label co-founded by Kevin Jones with Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons and producer Ian Grimble (who also produced Bear Dean's first two albums) – Islands was a commercial success, charting at number 49 in the UK and sticking around for 10 weeks, as well as making itself known on the UK Americana charts, where it was among the best-selling Americana albums of 2015. The band's career continued to gather pace in March 2015 when Islands' album track "Above the Clouds of Pompeii" was nominated for the Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. A deluxe edition of the LP was released that year and Bear's Den cemented their growing reputation across a range of tours and shows in the US and Europe, including Glastonbury Festival and Lollapalooza. Joey Hayes left in early 2016 to focus on his family, with session musician Dutch artist Christof van der Ven stepping in to play live with the band. Their sophomore album Red Earth & Pouring Rain emerged that summer and gave Bear's Den a top 10 record, reaching number six in the UK. Their third album came in 2019, So That You Might Hear Me, which they recorded in Seattle with producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, the Shins). They rounded off the year with festive EP Christmas, Hopefully and returned in September 2020 with Fragments, comprising orchestral reimaginings of some of their songs, arranged by Paul Frith. Bear's Den reunited with Ian Grimble for their fifth album, Blue Hours, which came out in 2022 and went to number six in the UK.
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