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wojtek the bear

City of Origin: Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Period of Activity: Late 2010s to present

Members: Rebecca Cheminais, Tam Killean, Paul Kirkwood, Jen Marr, Chris McKeown, Graham Norris

Related Artists: None that I know of

Discography:

• Second Nature EP (2017)
• A Talent for Being Unreasonable (2018)
• Old Names for New Shapes EP (2019)
• Heaven by the Back Door (2021)
• Shaking Hands with the NME (2024)
• I Don't Think You Want to Hear This (2026)

Social Media: Instagram | Website

wojtek the bear are among the latest in a long line of Glaswegian chamber pop bands like Belle and Sebastian or Camera Obscura. In particular, they currently take after Belle and Sebastian a lot, with delicate indiepop songs accentuated with trumpet and violin. To me, they kind of sound like early Belle and Sebastian with the more energetic production of Dear Catastrophe Waitress. In their earlier songs that I've heard, they're a sort of semi-jangly, semi-dreamy band that's never really been my thing but I know a lot of people like. Personally, though, I'm quite happy with the chamber pop turn of their more recent work!