BEARS DEN release powerful new video for “Hiding Bottles” – Watch Now

BEARS DEN release powerful new video for “Hiding Bottles” - Watch Now

Bear’s Den has today released a powerful new video for their track “Hiding Bottles” which candidly takes on the theme of Alcohol addiction in a family member.

Having personally experienced alcohol addiction in a family member, lead singer Andrew Davie took to spending time at Al-Anon meetings – a charity who support those with family and friends that struggle with alcohol addiction. Al-Anon brings a sense of community between those who are going through the same difficulties and it’s from these meetings that Davie began to write the song ‘Hiding Bottles’. Davie describes the song as a track “about life with an alcoholic relative. It’s an exploration of the inability to reach someone and the isolation that intrinsically creates.”

The video itself follows a teenage girl’s account of her father’s alcohol addiction and the pressure it puts upon herself and her loved ones. It is both inspired by and features quotes from people that have experienced alcoholism in a family member. Splitting into a ‘sliding doors’ style narrative, we view two parallel worlds in which her life diverts, each with its own pitfalls.  The scenes feature the introduction of alcohol to a young son, care-fuelled arguments between family members and withdrawal from family life, all of which touch on experiences that many people are experiencing on a daily basis.

Singer Andrew Davie explains, “I think the main thing Al-Anon allowed me to understand was that there are just so many people going through issues caused by having an alcoholic friend, loved one or relative – how many lives can be affected by just one life. For us as a band to work with Rollo and be able to make a video that might ring true for other people who could be looking for help or support was something we really wanted to do. The idea that the video could potentially help lead someone to an organisation that has helped me and so many others and could help them just feels really right to us and important.” 

Director Rollo Jackson says of the video, “The band and I wanted to highlight the often overlooked issues faced by the victims of alcohol abuse by basing the film on genuine case studies supplied by the charity Al-Anon. Looking through that research, the theme that kept cropping up was the ‘promise of normality’ that these victims are often teased with. Alcoholism explained as temporary or manageable, which created a strange dichotomy within those homes – two versions of the same family, one fighting to keep everything ’normal’ and another private version, out of control. Using a full cast of identical twins and in-camera effects I wanted to explore that idea and highlight the issues, whilst keeping every the story point and line of dialogue based on real case studies.”

Watch the video for “Hiding Bottles” – BELOW:

The duo that is Bear’s Den took multiple musical pathways before making their official formation in 2012. ‘Islands’, their debut album which was released back in 2014, earned them their very own Ivor Norvello nomination. After this, their 2016 follow-up album known as ‘Red Earth & Pouring Rain’ reached heights in the UK album chart at #6. Adding to the success of three stunning albums, Bear’s Den have an exciting live outlook which includes a recently announced a headline date at London Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo in February next year. But first, they will embark on several festival appearances this summer at the likes of Boardmasters over here in the UK and Blue Balls and Lowlands Festivals in Europe, before following their roots through the rural countryside of Scotland in their Highlands and Islands tour later in the year.

Catch Bear’s Den at the dates below:

07.08.19                               Boardmasters Festival, UK

18.08.19                               Lowlands, Netherlands

Highlands and Islands Tour:

11.08.19                               Sound Archive, Kirkwall, Orkney

12.08.19                               Bogbain, Inverness

13.08.19                               An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis

14.08.19                               OBI, Aviemore

15.08.19                               The Barn, Banchory

16.08.19                               Birnam Arts, Dunkeld

UK Tour Dates:

03.11.19                               O2 Academy, Oxford

04.11.19                               O2 Institute, Birmingham

05.11.19                               Tramshed, Cardiff

07.11.19                               Beckett Students’ Union, Leeds

08.11.19                               O2 Academy, Liverpool

10.11.19                               Newcastle University, Newcastle

11.11.19                               Corn Exchange, Edinburgh

20.02.20                               Eventim Apollo, London

European Tour Dates:

14.11.19                               Teatro Barcelo, Madrid, Spain

15.11.19                               La 2 Apolo, Barcelona, Spain

17.11.19                               Magnolia, Milan, Italy

20.11.19                               Ottakringer, Vienna, Austria

26.11.19                               Lille Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark

27.11.19                               Slaktkyrkan, Stockholm, Sweden

28.11.19                               Parkteatret, Oslo, Norway

26.02.20                               Forest National, Brussels, Belgium

27.02.20                               AFAS Live, Amsterdam, Netherlands

For every problem drinker in the UK, 5 further people are affected.  Al-Anon Family Groups provide support to anyone whose life is or has been, affected by someone else’s drinking, regardless of whether that person is still drinking or not.  For more information go to https://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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