Together, these contradictory characters have combined their strengths to deliver their sophomore album Distraction – a collection in which their love of pop hooks is filtered cohesively through an eclectic collection of genre elements ranging from psychedelic to punk. “Giants” is perhaps the track that best encapsulates everything that makes Bear Hands special, as it flows from a manic verse full of hollered stream-of-consciousness lyrics into an infectious chorus, in which the universal emotion of “I’m loving you more” is set to a cascading riff.
Rau and Feldman first met as film students at Connecticut’s Wesleyan University, an institution that has become well known for turning out a steady stream of talented musicians due to its focus on the arts. They became fast friends, bonding over a pot brownie and a shared taste in music. However, as Feldman was already in another band at the time, it would be several months before the two would begin to collaborate musically.
After going through an unpleasant breakup, Dylan discovered that his ex-girlfriend had taken up with one of Ted’s bandmates. When he found out that the band had also been offered a record deal, Dylan decided that they would not ride off into the sunset with both his ex-girlfriend and the guitarist he wanted to join forces with. “I said, ‘this isn’t how I’m going to go down.’ I confronted Ted and said, ‘Alright, that’s it – we’re starting a band!’” Once Ted had been convinced to abandon his previous band and form a new one with Dylan, it was time to complete the lineup.
Rau quickly identified the ideal rhythm section for his new band: bassist Val Loper and drummer TJ Orscher of Glastonbury, CT’s In Pieces. “TJ was definitely one of the best drummers in the area,” explains Rau. “I remember Val playing a show at my school, and him spinning around really, really fast and getting his bass stuck in the ground, and then he tripped over it and knocked over a PA speaker. It was super boss.”
Knowing that he’d need to recruit them as a team, Rau used some mini-Machiavellian tricks to convince each member that the other was already interested. Once they’d come around to the idea, the first session together displayed an almost telepathic connection. As Feldman remembers: “Everyone was pretty surprised at how easily it came together. We put four songs together in the first two rehearsals. In retrospect, it was our honeymoon period.”
After Rau’s master plan came together (“You’ve got to poach people from other bands – you scout them and pick people off like weak antelope”), Bear Hands signed to indie label Cantora Records. Bear Hands’ debut album Burning Bush Supper Club was released in 2010, but their progress faltered due to legal complications and daily distractions. This, combined with some inspiration from Jonathan Lethem’s novel Chronic City, led to the band naming their new album Distraction. “It’s about losing touch with reality,” states Rau. “Many things distract us: doing drugs; drinking; reality television; good food; the Internet.”
Frustrated by this protracted hiatus, Bear Hands decided to take the initiative and fund the making of Distraction themselves. Working on a tight budget meant that Feldman, already the director of the band’s videos, would also take the role of producer, with engineering assistance courtesy of their friends Yale Yng-Wong and Jake Aron. To record the drums and the basic tracks, they headed to Feldman’s parents’ house, which was transformed into a makeshift studio for a week. “Luckily my parents weren’t there because they probably would’ve freaked out. It looked awesome to me, but maybe not their style,” laughs Feldman. Overdubs and vocals were completed at Yng-Wong’s studio, Doctor Wu’s, in Brooklyn.
Numerous songs on the album are based on real life experiences. “Agora” addresses Rau’s experiences with agoraphobia. “Mixed with a couple of other mental health issues, it was pretty bad,” he admits. “I still have trouble and I have to force myself to leave the house. Socializing and exercise are the two things that I’m trying to work on improving. Sometimes I have little interest in either.”
Another common theme is failing romance. "Thought Wrong" is based upon a time when two of the band members were simultaneously involved in intense break-ups, while "Vile Iowa" reflects Rau’s experiences visiting his ex-girlfriend’s family – conservative, teetotaller Mormons. “I don’t think they really liked me and I don’t think they trusted me,” he sighs. “I have a history of dating girls from the Midwest whose families don’t like me. It’s a habit I need to get over.”
With character, creativity and pure songmanship in abundance, the global appeal of Distraction should ensure that Rau will have a new chance to broaden his horizons way beyond the Midwest. “We’ve always aimed to write pop songs because that’s just what we like, but we also like all sorts of different styles,” affirms Feldman. “There hasn’t been a huge paradigm shift in genres. I think it’s been an evolution of quality.”
Bear Hands is a post-punk/experimental/indie rock act hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Forming in 2006, the band consists of Dylan Rau, Ted Feldman, Val Loper and TJ Orscher.
www.bearhandsband.com
Agora
Bear Hands Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't leave the house cause I can't
I've been taking these pills but still
Got a couple of trails that I couldn't shake
Inside or out (Agora)
You know where to find me (Agora)
Don't fear me now (Agora)
If I can hear you
Why can't I seen you?
If I can touch you
Is that enough to
Make my love real
And one that won't fade
You can trust me
Because I have changed
Inside or out (Agora)
You know where to find me (Agora)
Don't fear me now (Agora)
Put that behind me (Agora)
If you believe me
This will be easy
You've heard enough now
To know me
I'm in love, yes
With this feeling
But I confess
Feelings are fleeting
Inside or out (Agora)
You know where to find me (Agora)
Don't fear me now (Agora)
Put that behind me (Agora)
No right, no wrong (Agora)
At least I'm trying (Agora)
When I am gone (Agora)
Ain't no more crying (Agora)
Part of what I've learned
Living on my own
You like to hang out but I don't
I don't leave the house cause I can't
I've been taking these pills but still
Got a couple of trails that I couldn't shake
Inside or out (Agora)
You know where to find me (Agora)
Don't fear me now (Agora)
Put that behind me (Agora)
No right, no wrong (Agora)
At least I'm trying (Agora)
When I am gone (Agora)
Ain't no more crying (Agora)
Bear Hands's song Agora seems to be about someone who struggles with social anxiety and possibly depression. The lyrics suggest that the singer would rather stay at home and take pills than go out and socialize. However, despite their mental health struggles, they still long for love and connection. They ask if hearing, seeing, and touching someone is enough to make their love real and not fleeting, then confess that feelings are fleeting. The chorus emphasizes the idea that the singer is always accessible to the person they love, no matter where they are. The bridge seems to suggest that the singer has learned something about themselves from living on their own, but it's not clear what that is.
Line by Line Meaning
You like to hang out but I don't
I prefer staying at home rather than going out with you.
I don't leave the house cause I can't
I have some issues or anxiety that prevent me from going out.
I've been taking these pills but still
Despite taking medication, I still have some lingering issues.
Got a couple of trails that I couldn't shake
I have some unresolved problems or mental health issues that keep bothering me.
Inside or out (Agora)
Whether I am inside or outside, it doesn't matter. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
You know where to find me (Agora)
You know where I am at the moment. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
Don't fear me now (Agora)
Don't be scared of me right now. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
Put that behind me (Agora)
Let's leave the past behind us and move on. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
If I can hear you
I can listen to what you have to say.
Why can't I seen you?
Why can't I understand you or see what you're going through?
If I can touch you
If I can physically reach you.
Is that enough to
Does that guarantee my love for you?
Make my love real
Prove that my love for you is genuine.
And one that won't fade
And a love that will not disappear over time.
You can trust me
Believe that I am truthful and reliable.
Because I have changed
Because I have made an effort to become a better person.
If you believe me
If you trust me and believe what I say.
This will be easy
Our relationship will not be difficult if you trust me.
You've heard enough now
You know me well enough by now.
To know me
To understand who I am.
I'm in love, yes
I am in love, indeed.
With this feeling
With the emotions that I am experiencing.
But I confess
However, I must admit
Feelings are fleeting
Emotions do not last forever; they come and go.
No right, no wrong (Agora)
There is no correct or incorrect answer or decision. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
At least I'm trying (Agora)
I am making an effort, at least for now. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
When I am gone (Agora)
When I am no longer here, after a while. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
Ain't no more crying (Agora)
There will be no more tears shed after a certain time. (Agora means 'now' in Greek)
Part of what I've learned
One of the things I have come to understand.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@brandonlakin2138
I've been trying to figure out with this song is about, and I'm not denying it's about agoraphobia, but I'm fairly certain it goes further than that. Maybe it's just my interpretation, but I feel it is about the struggle between getting out of your comfort zone- in this case, going outside rather than staying at home, probably the strongest metaphor for that.
I feel like the chorus,
"Inside or out,
you're moving to find me
Don't fear me now
Put that behind me"
Is actually the outside of the comfort zone, or in this case going outside, is actually challenging the agoraphobe. The rest of the songs phrases seem to be just how the agoraphobe feels when he is inside and wanting to go outside, and it also feels that way as the intensity of the song kind of drops and is more sad and lonely feeling. But as soon as the chorus picks up, and he "is at least trying", it's like a battle with himself.
I actually am really interested in this song as I feel I can relate, even if I'm not agoraphobic, so if any other ideas are out there I'd like to hear them
@melanie-rosewestbrook3240
This song perfectly captures the almost disabling fear, hesitation and (in some cases) loathing (inter and intra) brought on my agoraphobia, anxiety and depression. Thank you for the actualizing, demonstrating the distress felt by those who are going through this. Cheers to putting harmony and melody to very real and misunderstood disorders!
@BombDiggity420Primo
Just seen these dudes in concert.. very impressed. even got backstage and signed poster and tee. very cool dudes!!!
@minecat-anisapria-7965
I saw them, too! They're great!
@penelopepegg7834
God.. This song brings back bad memories..
To clear things out, agoraphobia doesn't only refer to a fear of leaving your house. It is a fear of people. A specific anxiety diagnosis.
@penelopepegg7834
***** True, technically speaking. To be more accurate, it's an irrational fear for crowded/open places. Basically, as you said, a fear of stressful situations. E.g avoiding food courts in fear you may trip up and embarrass yourself, get in someone's way, or make someone wait too long in a queue.
I wonder if it is possible for someone to have Agoraphobia yet at the same time, not have social anxiety or be awkward in anyway.
@KhayaPapaya82
Egg Egg My grandma had agoraphobia, couldn't leave her house. It's really sad. But I think this video looks like that and OCD...
@penelopepegg7834
Khaya Papaya How unfortunate. But you say "had" so I'm assuming she's alright now? If so, great.
@KhayaPapaya82
She's dead now, actually. But thank you, that was a kind response and I appreciate it. ♥
@zncv31
I've never heard any one describe it the way you did Penelope Pegg. I've been like that my whole life and assumed I was normal and everyone worried about things like that, mostly because my mom and sister are the same way.
@wlee6685
Don't understand why this band isn't bigger than it is now? 300,000 views in almost a year with a great song like this, what the hell? Maybe Gene Simmons is right and rock is dead. When I heard their song Giants back in May I thought for sure they would be up there with Imagine Dragons but nothing. Anyway, love this song and the song High Society as well as Giants. Hopefully it will get played on pop stations one day or on in some football stadium and blow up.