It’s a busy time for Eliza And The Bear as they hit the road with other acts but ensure there is no headlining hierachy, reports Tim Hughes

Okay, so none of them are called Eliza – and there’s certainly no bear.

But don’t let that bother you – because upbeat indie-rockers Eliza And The Bear are among the most hotly-tipped of the year. They are determined to share their joyful sound with a bigger audience – in places that otherwise wouldn’t hear them.

A five-piece band consisting of mates James Kellegher, Callie Noakes, Martin Dukelow, Chris Brand and Paul Kevin Jackson, the irrepressibly cheerful gang are fresh off an arena tour with Paramore – and are now switching down a gear with a co-headline Satellite tour, which has been calling into such unlikely places as High Wycombe, Ayr, Conwy and, tomorrow, Fat Lil’s in Witney.

Their folk-pop inspired sound has been likened to Flaming Lips or perhaps Dry the River. Certainly their jaunty folky overtones mark a departure from their past incarnations, as James explains: “The band Callie and I were in was like a post-hardcore grunge band, none of our songs were less than five minutes, and the others were in this screamo rock band. The music we make now couldn't be more different to that, but we all grow up, don’t we?” The tour sees the band, who take their name from a collection of fairy tale-influenced poems by Eleanor Rees, playing alongside four-piece Sons & Lovers, who have supported New Zealand’s Naked and Famous, and singer-songwriter Fred Page.

“It’s going to be great,” says James. “We played with Sons & Lovers about a year ago so it’ll be really good to see them again. And we’re swapping the order each night so we’ll each get a chance to go on first, second and to headline.”

And they are looking forward to hitting some new, intimate, venues. He says: “The idea of the tour is that we’re going to a lot of places that don’t get a lot of gigs, which is really exciting. I’ve been to a couple of the venues, and it’s great that so many towns have got such amazing places for bands to play.”

They return to the county on Monday to play the Communion New Faces tour, featuring BBC Sounds of 2014 artist Luke Sital-Singh, Farewell J.R and Annie Eve. The tour comes in the midst of a busy time in the studio, which sees the lads putting the finishing touches to their debut album.

“We’ve been in the studio deoing songs, “says James. “We’ve got about 20 songs, which is enough, but are carrying on to see what else we can come up with. We haven’t given ourselves a deadline or anything. We just want the best songs possible.

“We want to record the album before the summer festivals start, and then release it in the autumn. We’re really keen to release some music without jumping the gun and releasing things before they’re ready.”

And, like so many new bands, they are largely doing it on their own. “We’re not signed at the moment,” says James. “We’re doing it from our own label with support from a big company for distribution.”

So how did they make the journey from hard/screamed rock to epic indie-folk?

“Callie and I have been in bands together for a long time, and the other three were in another band together,” says James. “We’d played with them a few times, then their band split up, and ours did too, so we got together.

“We’re all from near the same place, and we’d often play in a venue near a place called Hornchurch. Callie and I were writing, but we weren’t doing much and we were bored with not performing so got in touch with the other three – and pretty soon we were Eliza And The Bear.”

James admits he wasn’t a natural frontman, though. “Singing came really late, and I still don’t really class myself as a singer,” he confesses. “I was playing drums in the first band I was in, doing backing vocals, then in another band I played guitar and did backing vocals, but the singer left and I was made to sing, and it just stuck.

“I still see myself as a guitarist who sings a bit. It’’s just something I have to do, but I’m growing to enjoy it more and more.”

LIVE
Eliza and the Bear play Fat Lil’s Witney tomorrow with Sons & Lovers and Fred Page. Tickets are just £4 from wegottickets.com
They then play the Art Bar, Oxford, on Monday with Luke Sital-Singh, Eliza and the Bear, Farewell J.R and Annie Eve. (see left) Go to wegottickets.com