The Lion The Bear The Fox members pour their passion into the souls of their songs.
Each person has a story and pieces of those stories resonate with others who have had similar experiences.
“One thing that unites us is just this love of honest songs,” said band member Christopher Arruda, adding they each believe voices are a powerful instrument.
Arruda’s song Home is about having self-doubt but still pushing himself to pursue his dream. It tells the tale of his life struggling to perform as a musician for almost a decade and how uniting with band members Cory Woodward and Ryan McMahon on this project has allowed him to finally find a home with the band.
He said the three have become known separately for their solo careers and when they come together they become something that is greater than its parts.
“It’s an utter joy to perform with two other powerful forces on stage and know I am not the only one who’s responsible to carry the weight of the entire show,” said Woodward in a press release. “I now have two brothers who are happy to share the load because we possess the same passion for music.”
The Lion The Bear The Fox recently learned they are one of the top 20 finalists in the Peak Performance Project, a contest created by 102.7 The Peak. There were about 400 applicants for the contest which includes a performance during Vancouver’s Khatsahlano Festival, a music boot camp, an online voting round and the chance to win the grand prize of $102,700.
“It’s not a small feat to have been included so we are definitely honoured,” he said. “To have it starting out, it is such a blessing.”
Arruda was a finalist before in 2010 when he was a solo artist. He said the process taught him a lot about the music industry and he is grateful that this time he has help from his band members.
The group performs in Nanaimo Monday (July 1) at the Dinghy Dock pub at 7 p.m.
Arruda moved to Nanaimo when he was 14 and spent time in the community pursing his music career until he was 26.
A few years ago he moved to Vancouver. He said people in Nanaimo can look forward to three big voices and three big characters.
The band’s name The Lion The Bear The Fox refers to each member’s personality. Arruda is the lion, Woodward the fox and McMahon the fox.
“When we perform, people experience three powerful, honest and soulful voices that will take them on a roller coaster ride of dynamically pleasing songs,” said Woodward. “Each one’s a journey, and we welcome everyone with open arms to dance wild, scream and sing into the night and experience one of the greatest self-made gifts we can give ourselves – pure uninhibited joy.”
The band is currently recording its debut album.
The group formed after the three friends did a tour together in 2012 as solo artists.
“I know I certainly had no interest in starting a band previous to going on the road with these two, but the events of the tour were something that couldn’t be ignored,” said Arruda.
Tickets are $20 and are available in advance from the pub, the artists or www.ticketzone.com.
For more information about the group please go to www.facebook.com/thelionthebearthefox.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com