Roaming Bear is a name that is synonymous with fun and adventure to his cult of loyal fans; the “Roaming Bear Militia.” Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and Milwaukee, Bear was inspired by the riff-heavy midwest emo bands that shaped the Chicago music scene, but also the acoustic folk punk ballads of Milwaukee sweethearts the Violent Femmes. Eventually his mom turned him onto the Grateful Dead, and his older brothers introduced him to Master P and No Limit Records, and this eclectic influx of influences shaped him into the unique weirdo that he is today. Bear began writing and recording songs in 2008. His tunes are often somewhat sad, but they blend a surprisingly positive demeanor and gaiety for life into the mix. He might talk about heavy subjects such as suicide, but while doing so Bear will beg the listener to let down their hair and "run clear into the wide f*cking open."

 

As a young man Roaming Bear made a name for himself by hitchhiking and hopping freight trains all across America and documenting the process; teaching other young people how to “travel for free,” as can be seen in the feature length documentary Exile by Choice, which follows Bear and his friends on their adventures. Roaming Bear's songs are heavily inspired by the hobo-escapades of his past life, the people he met along the way, and the eternal truths that can only be found while out on the road.

In early 2023 Bear earned a Music Business Bachelors Degree from Columbia College Chicago. Shortly afterwards he formed a new iteration of the Roaming Bear band, featuring Russell Fritz on the drums. The duo is currently working on curating a track list from the 300+ home recordings that Bear has accumulated over the past decade, and recording their debut album. Armed with the experience of trial and error, the knowledge of new industry standards, and an inexhaustible passion to succeed, we can all expect great things from Roaming Bear and his new band in the future.