Morning Bear is an orchestral indie folk project based in Denver, Colorado. The nom de guerre of singer/songwriter John Runnels, the project formed in March of 2014 when Runnels quit his job as an engineer and took a one-way flight to Sevilla, Spain. Runnels spent six and a half months traveling Europe with just a guitar and a backpack, playing on the streets for change. Morning Bear’s music features songs written during these travels, taking listeners on a candid and emotional journey through battles with self-doubt, the challenges of risk taking, and of growing up.

Characterized by highly dynamic compositions, Morning Bear’s music is a synthesis of the calm and delicate stylings of artists like Bon Iver and Jose Gonzalez with the complexity and depth of the Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. Featuring soaring vocals and atypical arrangements including cello, violin, piano and more, Morning Bear provides a textured landscape behind pop-influenced hooks. 

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