Today we’d like to introduce you to Samuel Janvier.
Samuel, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Black Hole Bears was formed in 2017, originally as a side project of my former band Ricardo Lopez and the Revolvers. We ended up merging the two together and rearranged our Ricardo Lopez songs to fit the new lineup. After recording some demos and playing a few shows in 2018, Black Hole Bears recorded our debut EP with OMA Productions in Fort Worth. It was released in March 2019. We continued playing shows around DFW until the summer when we embarked on The Electric Zoo Tour with Foxlove and The Moths, a ten day tour across Texas. We play in DFW frequently and are currently working on material for our debut album.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the biggest struggles facing Black Hole Bears, in the beginning, were time and distance as originally our members were split half between Denton and half in North Richland Hills. Most of our members live around Denton now, so time is the biggest hurdle. Our differing schedules, whether it be work or school, sometimes limit what we’re able to accomplish.
Please tell us about your work.
Black Hole Bears is an indie/alternative band consisting of Robert Crumpler, Badger Darkes, Alfredo Guerrero, and Sam January. We blend a lot of genres to form some eclectic rock. One minute we might play some bedroom-pop, the next could be some heavy metal, to faux-country, and beyond. We make what we want and choose not to be confined by genre. All 4 of us come from different musical backgrounds and I think that’s one of our biggest strengths. It’s good working with people who view music differently than you; that way, you could attack a song from all angles. I would say that’s what separates Black Hole Bears from other acts, our willingness to play with genres.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One time in 7th grade, I convinced my mom to let my Grandma pick me up after I finished a TAKS test to take me to Mount Asia so I could be in a Forever the Sickest Kids music video. The director asked if anyone liked Orange Crush and I said yes and there’s a small part in the video where the keyboardist pulls a golf ball out of my Orange Crush with the back of my head taking up most of the shot. I always thought that was cool.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blackholebears.com
- Email: contact@blackholebears.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackholebears
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackholebears
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/blackholebears
Image Credit:
Umbrella photo by Lucas Fowler
Purple light photo by Chase Wilmot
Black Hole Bears EP designed by Ian Chapoy
Old Bands designed by A. Sims
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