I thought I’d start a weekly post just to break the monotony of regular blog posts, and to hopefully introduce a bit of variety to the blog. The concept is “New Tunes Tuesday“, where I’ll share a new (as in, new to the feature, and maybe to you, but not new as in just released) tune each week, and a bit of a background behind why I like it, what it means to me, and similar artists that you might enjoy if you like it too.
So, I’m kicking this off with one of my all time favourite tracks. It’s great when people have favourite tracks, but what makes them even more special (to me) is the back story as to why that song means so much to someone. I’ll level with you, I went to see this band live without ever hearing a track – and ended up leaving with a signed record, and songs that will never leave me.
New Tunes Tuesday – Bear’s Den – Agape
When Ash and I first got together, we’d both come out of long term relationships, and I’ll be quite honest, it was a very rough stage in our lives. I had to move out of my house and in to a flat, and Ash moved back in with her mum and step dad whilst the dust settled on the enormity of the changes in our lives. During the early stages of all of this, I went to see Bear’s Den with a friend, just to get out of the flat more than anything. And I’m so glad I did.
I’d given their album a listen the day before, so I knew what to expect, but then they dropped this song, and I could just feel myself welling up (no shame here, I cry, don’t ever be ashamed of it chaps). This song just bought so much meaning to my current situation – me and Ashleigh weren’t officially a couple at this stage, and I was really struggling with my mental health, and really wasn’t sure what life was throwing at me. The one thing that I did know, was that I wanted to be with Ashleigh – and this song, to me, was all about that;
For I’m so scared of losing you
And I don’t know what I can do about it
So tell me how long, love, before you go
And leave me here on my own
I always had a fear in my mind that Ashleigh would resent me, as we both left our other relationships at the same time – Ashleigh left behind a mortgage and a job. I’d get my self in to such a state worrying about things, and I was genuinely concerned that, after all the upheaval, she’d think I wasn’t worth it!
I don’t wanna know
Who I am without you
And that single line, “I don’t wanna know who I am without you” was the one for me. The one that slapped me around the face and made me realise that I simply needed to get my act together, and be with the person who made me happiest, who allowed me to be myself, and who I simply enjoyed being with. And with that, we moved in together not long after (as good as, as she had found a job in Ipswich by this point so commuting was a pain), and not long after that, we relocated to Liverpool, and the rest is history!
That’s that – I really hope you enjoy listening to Bear’s Den, and enjoyed the first of many new tunes Tuesday posts.
I can’t encourage you enough to listen to their albums (specifically “Red Earth and Pouring Rain“) – because it’s just absolutely stunning from start to finish – and I resonate with so many of their songs, I’m sure you will too. Also, check them out on Twitter.
Also, check out bands / artists such as Benjamin Francis Leftwich, The Paper Kites and Nick Mulvey, to name but a few.
You can also follow our New Tunes Tuesday playlist on Spotify, if you wanted a playlist of all the tracks we add over the coming weeks.