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
When We Escape
Minus the Bear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the music up, do you feel the beat?
I see you too by the way you move.
I need to feel your body moving on me.
You must be an illusion.
Can I see through you?
Cause I parked up and down the street.
That dress is begging to come off.
A quiet dark place is all we need.
[Chorus]
You must be an illusion.
Can I see through you?
You must be an illusion.
You must be an illusion.
When we escape
It's with a white line
We'll both align.
And now we lay this close
Catching measures of the pulse.
[Chorus x2]
In the opening lines of Minus the Bear's song When We Escape, the singer describes a scene where the lights are dim and the music is loud. They are observing someone and they can tell that they are feeling the beat by the way they move. The singer can't help but desire to feel the other person's body on them. However, they question whether this person is real or just an illusion. The second verse reveals that someone is urging the singer out of the house and they take their car, parked up and down the street, to a secluded location where they can be alone. The chorus repeats the same doubts about whether this person is an illusion or not.
The chorus serves as a nod to the singer's uncertainty about their own actions and state of mind. The lines suggest that perhaps the singer is in a state of altered consciousness when they are with this person, represented by the "white line" that they both align with. However, the singer ends the song by trying to make sense of the connection between them, as they lay close together and feel the beat of their hearts.
Overall, the song depicts a passionate and fleeting connection between two people who may or may not be real. The lyrics and rhythm of the song set a hypnotic and almost dreamlike tone that reflects the uncertain and transient nature of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone's turning the lights down low
The environment is being set for an intimate moment
And the music up, do you feel the beat?
The music is being turned up to create a certain mood
I see you too by the way you move.
Your movements show that you are also feeling the vibe
I need to feel your body moving on me.
I desire to share a close moment with you
You must be an illusion.
I can't believe how perfect you seem
Can I see through you?
I wonder if your perfection is real or not
Someone's pulling me out the house
I'm being dragged out of my comfort zone
Cause I parked up and down the street.
I'm trying to hide my identity for some reason
That dress is begging to come off.
Your attire is enticing me to act on our desires
A quiet dark place is all we need.
We desire a private, intimate location to indulge in our desires
When we escape
It's with a white line
We'll both align.
And now we lay this close
Catching measures of the pulse.
We are indulging in drugs to heighten our senses and be in harmony. We lay together feeling each other's heartbeats.
You must be an illusion.
Can I see through you?
You must be an illusion.
You must be an illusion.
I am in awe of you and unsure if the moment is too good to be true
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: JOHNSON, KNUDSON, MURCHY, ROSE, SNIDER, STUMPF, WISE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind