Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bearhugtheband

The five members of young Sydney outfit Bearhug were all close friends through high school, but it wasn't until after graduation, and countless late nights listening to their favourite bands –– Pavement, Broken Social Scene, Wilco, My Morning Jacket –– that they decided to pick up instruments, write some songs and form a band.

The fruit of these first sessions was the nonchalant and charming independently recorded and released ep Cartoon Islands, which came out in early 2009. The release quickly caught the attention of Sydney's indie music community, with one of their tracks, Fiery Stars, added to playlist rotation on FBI radio, and another, Snow Leopard, included on Spunk's 2009 Singles Club comp. At the same time, the band picked up supports for the likes of Jack Ladder, Seekae, and Crayon Fields.

A year later, in mid 2010, Bearhug became an official, card carrying member of the estimable Spunk Records, joining a whole host of their musical heroes as part of the Spunk Records family. Soon after, the band dropped their second ep, To Anything, a release of many colours and delights.

On To Anything, vocalist Ryan Phelan's languid, unstudied vocals and the warm wash of the band's reverb-tinged, 1990s inspired guitar melodies recall warm, idle summer afternoons –– those days when you had very little to do, and were all the better for it. Which isn't to say Bearhug are simply a nostalgia trip: on To Anything, their sound is consistently youthful, fresh and imaginative, their songs determined and robust. Bearhug reinvent the classic indie guitar rock of their musical heroes with songs that sound familiar and welcoming but are, at their core, startlingly original and modern.

After recent supports alongside the likes of Built To Spill and Broken Social Scene, Bearhug are currently working away on their debut lp.

Bearhug are on Gaga Music via Spunk.