Hey, Seattle-ites - while wandering around town, you might want to keep your eyes open for bear sightings. Minus the Bear, that is. The band is currently tracking their album "in a lovely Seattle neighborhood," according to the band's Alex Rose.

"We thought about getting out of town, but it's hard to beat the convenience of home," Rose laughs. "Working with Joe (album producer Joe Chicarelli (The Shins, The White Stripes)) has been great; it's the first time since the first full-length in 2002 that the band has worked with an outside producer."

And that producer seems to suit the band's casual style well; the studio has the luxury of having a backyard, its own endless supply of coffee (well, what else, in Seattle?), and is lending itself to a productive yet chill summer recording atmosphere.

"It's pretty chill when we're doing overdubs or bouncing around ideas," Rose says, "when we're getting the basic tracks for the songs, though, it's everyone in the studio at once, playing the song as many times as it takes to get the sounds and the parts meshing well together. That requires a good amount of focus."
  

"But when Joe's working alone or with one person, we've been having BBQs in the back yard, shooting hoops, watching movies and breaking into impromptu acoustic sessions. There's a great espresso machine in the lobby and many, many wonderful food options nearby. Cuban sandwiches, Thai food, burritos... so many options."

  

This album is set to be more complex and definitely more produced than Minus the Bear's 2008 EP - which was primarily acoustic - but the band says they've definitely learned from making the acoustic set, and are bringing some of those studio lessons onto this album, even though this one's going to be more plugged-in.

"Doing the Acoustics EP was a great experience, because we got to revisit songs and strip them down to the core elements," Rose explains, "Joe really liked it and we talked about taking a similar approach with the new songs, although there probably won't be any fully acoustic tracks on the album."


Something else the band has learned is what a lot of other musicians and bands are learning - that record companies aren't necessarily the only choice any more when it comes to producing and promoting a new disc. Minus the Bear - who are currently label-less - decided to fund their next album themselves.
   "We are not currently under contract with any label, which is a pretty exciting place to be these days,"

Rose enthuses, "so instead of worrying about the business end, we figured we'd just go ahead and make the record and have complete control of what we're doing. Once the record is done, we'll figure out what's happening with it. With the record industry in the state that it's in, this seemed like the safest option."


That approach seems to be bringing a sense of freedom to the recording proceedings, as Rose explains:  "Recording is going really well. We're going for a very live feel with all five of us playing together and trying to keep the live performances as intact as possible. Stylistically, it's all over the map and we're not sure which songs are making the record yet, so it's hard to talk theme at this point. We're using some new guitars and amps, a ton of vintage keyboards, and a few toy instruments."

Even though these sessions sound a lot like summer break - what with the lack of label pressure, the barbecuing, and all of that coffee - Minus the Bear are set to take some real time off when the album is wrapped. But don't worry, fans; they'll be back on stage just as you're emptying out that last bottle of sunscreen.

"We'll be done in July," Rose says, "then we'll take a little vacation - we're aiming to have the new release out in the fall, and we'll be ready to hit the road intensely."