LOS ANGELES, CA- FriendlyBear is Guy Jedidiah (lead vocals, guitar), Megan Speer (drums) and Adam Bones (bass and also plays with The Two Tens, Save Ferris, Compress Collide, The Gabba Gabba Heys). I met them back in 2019 when they played a set at the now-shuttered Satellite (RIP). I was so impressed with the trio’s take on grunge/garage rock, I asked them to perform for my mini-showcase at Madame Siam a few months later.
Earlier this year, I was able to catch them perform a set at the Redwood Bar in downtown Los Angeles the day before Halloween. Getting festive with the times, they each costumed up and and rocked the room to its grungy core.
I was able to reach out to the Guy, to catch up with him about how the band’s 2021 went, and what they are looking forward to in the new year.
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So…. year two into the pandemic. 2021. How was it for you guys?
The year 2021 was kind of a Frankenstein’s monster of trying to be responsible but also just wanting to do ALL THE THINGS. After a crazy 2020, which started with the cancellation of our first EP release show in March, we were approaching this year with cautious optimism. We really wanted to get back on stage, but we also wanted to make sure it was safe to do that.
Did you guys get the chance to perform at all during lockdown?
We were able to play a couple of live streams when the lockdown eased up a bit, which was an interesting experience, to say the least. And toward the end of this year, we got back into the swing of things and played a handful of highly fulfilling in-person shows. It was so amazing to see our friends again and to feel the energy returning to the L.A. rock scene.
It’s hard to beat that feeling of truly “live” audience, huh?
It’s always been magical to feel like a part of something bigger than ourselves, but now we know exactly what we were missing.
Were you guys able to stay productive during the downtime?
With the extra downtime, we were also able to get into the studio and record a handful of songs, which are currently being mixed. We’re excited to release them.
What about the future? What are you hoping for in 2022?
Next year, our main goal is to be intentional about living in the moment and not taking anything for granted. Anxiety be damned. It sounds cliché, doesn’t it? But nothing is promised, and if we didn’t already know that, we sure as hell should after the past couple of years. With that goal in mind, FriendlyBear promises to play a bunch of shows in 2022 and finish recording our first LP. Maybe we’ll even press some vinyl if Mother Earth (or Father Capitalism) allows. We plan to have a badass record release show, but we don’t want to jinx it by talking about it too much. Hindsight is, after all, 2020.
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