The Act: CHINA BEARS

The Track: 'TOTAL COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN'

The Format: DIGISINGLE

The Release Date: MAY 20TH 2024

The Digital Link: orcd.co/total_communication_breakdown

The Truth: Originally formed in Somerset by twin brothers Ivan (lead vocals / guitar) and Frazer (lead guitar), the China Bears line up was completed after meeting James (bass) and Dean (drums) at university in Guildford. The punchy, anthemic 'Total Communication Breakdown' is the Bears' brand new single, and the third track to be taken from their debut album, entitled 'Participation Trophy' and due out on July 12th.

The hyper-energetic musical promotional video for 'Total Communication Breakdown' finds Ivan very much hanging on the telephone over here: youtu.be/RHVHq9-wCCc

'Participation Trophy' is available to pre-order right now on a variety of fruity formats and bundles as well as the chance to win tickets for the October tour - full dates below and full details over at https://chinabears.tmstor.es/?utm_campaign=TM%20Breakthrough%20Vol.%2031&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Mailjet

If melodic diligence counts for anything in what is left of the music industry China Bears are masters of their arty leftfield craft: throughout a series of terrific tours and exquisitely-balanced EP releases with names like 'I've Never Met Anyone Like You', 'Statue Still' and 'All That Distance', they have displayed an innate ability to blend the alt.rock rush with the acoustic hush.

Whether it’s ripping apart the stage with their misery-anthemic indie or calming the room to pin drop silence singing their songs shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the crowd, China Bears have gained recognition for their emotive high energy and intimate performances which have drawn knowing comparisons to The National, Death Cab For Cutie and Frightened Rabbit.

2024 will see China Bears cash in on all that magical work on the margins. Fresh from a vibrantly successful second trip to SXSW, their 'Participation Trophy' album was recorded in the autumnal sunshine of Leith with Rod Jones from Idlewild at the production controls. 'Easy Kill' was the perfectly imperfect entry point in January, it being muscular and moving and epic and ever-so-quietly putting the 'emo' into 'emotional', and second single 'North Star' fitted that same dynamic dynamic.

"'Total Communication Breakdown' is the last song we wrote for the album," explains Ivan. "Listening through the demos we felt like we were missing a pure cathartic rock-esque track. The song really goes through the initial stages of seperation with someone, fighting every urge to not reach out to them, but also coming to terms with them not reaching out to you. Sometimes it can be really hard to see yourself coming out better off the other side in matters like these."

Having spent the spring astounding half of Austin at SXSW and having a ball on the beaches of The Great Escape China Bears take their angst and angular emotions to these places here:

October 1st SHEFFIELD Sidney & Matilda
October 2nd NEWCASTLE Head of Steam
October 3rd GLASGOW Broadcast
October 4th MANCHESTER Off the Square
October 5th NORWICH Voodoo Daddy's
October 8th NOTTINGHAM Bodega
October 9th BIRMINGHAM Hare & Hounds
October 10th LONDON HACKNEY Oslo
October 11th BRISTOL The Exchange

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