Bear's Den Debut EP 'Agape' Out, 8/27

Agape (ag-ah'-pay), the debut EP from British trio Bear's Den will be released stateside on August 27 via the independent taste-making label Communion Records, co-founded by Ben Lovett (Mumford & Sons). The EP is currently streaming in its entirety at Paste Magazine now: http://bit.ly/18FF1Wq. Bear's Den follows in the footsteps of several other notable success stories on the label's roster, including Ben Howard, Michael Kiwanuka, Daughter, Gotye and more.

The critically acclaimed trio has developed a cult following in its short existence as a result of their writing, harmonies, and D.I.Y. approach with custom hand-stamped CDs and records sold at their shows. Of Bear's Den, Lovett explains, "Their music connects with people immediately, in a way I very rarely see. They play sold out rooms across the country and have built their career in the hardest way, through touring. Honest, sometimes brutal lyrics, whilst remaining hopeful and strong. I am honored to be bringing the band to the U.S. to introduce them to people. It's really a case of putting the record on and the music does the rest. An undeniably brilliant band."

Early U.S. champions include Sirius XM's "The Spectrum," who recently featured the EP's title track in power rotation for several weeks, calling it an "emotional song with powerful, authentic harmonies." To celebrate the new release, the band will perform at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on August 27. Furthermore, they will embark on a U.S. run with Mumford & Sons in August and will support Daughter on a nationwide tour beginning in October. See reverse for details. Full track listing on reverse.

Kristoffer Harris (Story Books) produced Agape. Of the process Andrew Davie (vocals, guitar) explains "Playing live is the most important thing to us as a band...The kind of scrutiny a song goes under in the studio can be quite painful at times...[Harris] understood that and was instrumental at getting across that live energy and pushing us to get the most out of the songs." Of the EP, Davie furthers, "Something about the word 'Agape' gave a new impetus to the word love. For me it really got across that sense of openness I was looking for and in writing the song I was hoping to reach some sort of level of openness with my loved ones and myself. The word kind of became a mini-philosophy for me in the process of writing the EP and in life outside of the EP."

Bear's Den is Davie, Joey Haynes (vocals, banjo) and Kevin Jones (vocals, drums). The London-based trio played music in various incarnations before officially forming the band in 2012. With melancholic melodies, heartfelt lyrics and emotive harmonies from the three multi-instrumentalists, the band quickly gained a host of fans and began touring extensively, including support slots with Of Monsters and Men, Ben Howard and Matt Corby among others. It was only after finding their identity on the road that the band focused their attention on studio recordings. View the compelling mini-documentary, which follows Bear's Den (among other bands) during Communion's 2012 Austin to Boston tour: http://vimeo.com/64925235.

AGAPE TRACK LISTING

1. Agape

2. Isaac

3. Mother

4. When You Break

5. A Year Ago Today

Bear's Den Tour Dates

August 24 Simcoe, ON Norfolk County Fairgrounds*
August 26 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre*

August 27 New York, NY Rockwood Music Hall
August 28 Queens, NY Forest Hills Stadium*
August 29 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion*
August 30-31 Troy, OH Troy Memorial Stadium*
September 2 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center*
September 3 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheater*
September 4 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center*
September 6-7 Guthrie, OK Cottonwood Flats*
September 9 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre*
September 10 Atlanta, GA Centennial Olympic Park*
September 11 Simpsonville, SC Charter Amphitheatre*
September 13-14 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Francis Field*
September 16 Dallas, TX Kessler Theatre**
September 17 Austin, TX The Parish**
September 18 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's**

September 19 Nashville, TN Communion Americana Showcase

September 20 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse**
September 21 Nashville, TN Exit In**
September 22 St. Louis, MO Plush**
September 23 Madison, WI Majestic Theater**
September 25 Chicago, IL Park West**
September 28 Cincinnati, OH Midpoint Music Festival**
September 29 Toronto, ON Phoenix**
October 1 Washington, DC 9:30 Club**
October 2 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls**
October 4 Boston, MA Royale**
October 5 New York, NY Terminal 5**
October 8 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern**

*with Mumford & Sons
**with Daughter