Minus the Bear were a indie rock group which formed in Seattle, Washington,… Read Full Bio ↴Minus the Bear were a indie rock group which formed in Seattle, Washington, United States in 2001 and have released six albums and eight EPs. The band consists of Jake Snider (vocals, guitar), Dave Knudson (guitar), Cory Murchy (bass), Alex Rose (synths, vocals) and Joshua Sparks (drums). Original keyboardist Matt Bayles left the band in 2006, but has remained on good terms with the band and produced their 2007 album Planet of Ice. The band is known for their amusing song titles such as "Hey, Wanna Throw Up?" and "Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!". Despite this light humor, the band's music is quite technical.

Members of the band were formerly in the bands Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound involves a mix of pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics, with a Don Caballero-esque sophistication of composition. The name Minus the Bear comes from the famed TV show B.J. and the Bear—minus the bear.

After initially forming in 2001 with guitarist David Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, and drummer Erin Tate, the trio eventually recruited keyboardist/sequencer Matt Bayles and vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider. They released their debut EP This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic on September 14, 2001 through Suicide Squeeze Records—who would subsequently release the majority of their albums and EPs.

The following year, on August 8, 2002, in preparation for the up-coming album the band was working on, they released the 5 track promo EP Bands Like It When You Yell "Yar!" at Them. On December 2, 2002, the band released their first full-length album, Highly Refined Pirates.

In 2004, the band released their third EP entitled They Make Beer Commercials Like This through Arena Rock Recording Co. on July 13th. The band then contributed the track "Houston, We Have an Uh-Oh" to the Vagrant Records compilation In Honor: A Compilation to Beat Cancer which was released on September 21st.

Their second full-length album, Menos el Oso, was released on August 23, 2005. The title in Spanish translates to "Minus the Bear." The album featured the band's first-ever official music videos, with videos being made for both "The Game Needed Me" and "Pachuca Sunrise". The album signaled the end to the amusing song titles featured on previous releases.

On January 2, 2006 after touring in support of Menos el Oso, keyboardist/sequencer and producer Matt Bayles announced that he was leaving the band in order to focus on record production work. His last performance with the band was on January 28, 2006. Bayles wrote on his homepage that he would be replaced by Alex Rose, an engineer on Menos el Oso.

A remix album of Menos El Oso, entitled Interpretaciones Del Oso, was released on February 20th, 2007. The title in Spanish translates to "Interpretations of the Bear." The album features remixes by Plan B, Morgan Henderson of The Blood Brothers and Jason Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves, among others.

Minus the Bear's third full-length album, Planet of Ice, was released on August 21, 2007, with a limited vinyl pressing on Suburban Home Records. To date, there have been three official pressings of Planet of Ice on vinyl. All pressings are double LPs. The album was recorded during February and March of 2006. Music videos were made for both "Knights" and "Throwin' Shapes".

On June 3, 2008, Suicide Squeeze Records re-issued the band's third EP They Make Beer Commercials Like This. The EP was remastered and expanded to include the track "Houston, We Have an Uh-Oh".

On October 7, 2008 the band released Acoustics, a 7 track EP featuring acoustic versions of the band's songs including the previously unreleased "Guns & Ammo". The EP was released on Tigre Blanco Records. The EP was released on vinyl on February 17, 2009 through Vinyl Collective.

On October 27, 2009, Minus the Bear released a digital 2 song single for "Into the Mirror", which features the title track and "Broken China". The band released their fourth original studio album Omni on May 4, 2010. Their final live performance was December 16, 2018 at The Showbox in Seattle.

Band members

Dave Knudson - guitar Cory Murchy - bass Alex Rose - synthesizer, drum machine, vocals, electronics, saxophone Jake Snider - lead vocals, guitar Erin Tate - drums

Former members

Matt Bayles - vocals, keyboards/drum machine, electronics

Former bands
Dave Knudson - used to play in botch Jake Snider - used to play in sharks keep moving Erin Tate used to play in kill sadie Cory Murchy used to play in kill sadie

Drilling
Minus the Bear Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

this is us on a western atlantic coast
with no place to be
just taking in the sea

tonight with a constant buzz
we're staring at the ocean crashing on
all the rocks below
in this foreign home

this old story
when we're gone i feel i'll never miss anyone
and you lay on the grass along the edge

"is this a dream,"
you ask and i don't say anything
because this may be a dream

and we come to this place
like two convicts that have escaped
from the prison of everyday
and for the moment we'll have our stay

this old story
when we're gone i feel i'll never miss anyone
and you lay on the grass along the edge

you know that tomorrow comes like disease to us

from this cliff's edge the gulls fly below us
diving into the sea below us
and i'm not cold tonight beside you, beside you
and we're not cold tonight

this old story
when we're gone i feel i'll never miss anyone

this old story
expatriot, you're coming home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Minus the Bear's song "Drilling" describe a moment of tranquility and escapism in which the singer and their partner find themselves on a Western Atlantic coast with nothing to do but take in the sea. The constant crashing of the waves serves as a backdrop to their thoughts and reflections, and they feel a sense of disconnection from their usual lives. As they lay on the grass together, one of them questions whether they are dreaming or not, highlighting the surreal and temporary nature of the moment.

The singer likens themselves and their partner to convicts who have escaped from the "prison of everyday," suggesting that the mundanity of their lives has been holding them back from experiencing moments of true freedom and joy. The song ends with the line "expatriot, you're coming home," suggesting that this moment of escape has taught them something about the way they want to live their lives in the future.

Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of two people finding solace and meaning in a moment of freedom and escapism, away from the pressures of their everyday lives. The imagery of the crashing waves and the gulls diving into the sea creates a vivid sense of place and atmosphere, while the uncertain and dream-like quality of the moment adds a layer of complexity and ambiguity to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

this is us on a western atlantic coast
We are on the Atlantic coast and have no other place to go.

with no place to be
We have nowhere else to be but here.

just taking in the sea
We are simply enjoying the view of the sea.

tonight with a constant buzz
We are feeling buzzed tonight.

we're staring at the ocean crashing on
We are looking at the waves as they break on the shore.

all the rocks below
We can see the rocks below the waves.

in this foreign home
We are in a place we are not familiar with.

this old story
This is a familiar tale.

when we're gone i feel i'll never miss anyone
We won't miss anyone when we leave.

and you lay on the grass along the edge
You are lying on the grass near the edge.

"is this a dream,"
You ask if this is a dream.