Going Beyond "Blue in the Dark" with Bearings
Interview by Mary Perez
Graphic by Vic Maltese
One of the biggest up-and-coming bands in the pop punk scene, Bearings, hails from Ottawa, Ontario. Comprised of vocalist Doug Cousins, guitarist Ryan Culligan, bassist Collin Hanes, guitarist Ryan Fitz, and drummer Mike McKerracher, the band ended 2019 with two sold-out shows as a celebration of the one-year anniversary of their debut album, Blue in the Dark. I sat down with Cousins and Culligan before their set in Baltimore to talk more about their current tour, upcoming album, and dream venues to play:
Seeing as we’re almost a week into tour, how have these first shows been for you?
Doug Cousins: It’s been good. The shows have been popping off.
Ryan Culligan: They’ve been a lot of fun! We’re touring with some of our best friends, and we’re just having a blast so far. The first few were great, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the tour, for sure. I think Toronto was a great start.
DC: We usually end in Toronto. I don’t know why it worked like that; I guess it was just convenient.
RC: We’re so lucky that most tours start or end in Toronto. It’s very convenient for us because people want to knock that out right away because you have to cross the border. It’s been really fun, and we’re enjoying the tour so far.
Any shows or places in particular that you’re looking forward to?
RC: There are so many...
DC: I always look forward to playing the Los Angeles area, like the Chain Reaction in Anaheim. That’ll be a cool one. We just played there a couple months back, so that was good vibes.
RC: The tour ends in Chicago with a double show on the 28th and 29th. Both are sold out and Sleep On It’s from there, so I think it’s gonna be pretty crazy.
DC: Oh yeah, it’s gonna be nuts.
RC: We have a lot of people that come out in Chicago for us-
DC: A lot of friends too, so that’s always nice.
To celebrate the anniversary of your debut album, you played two shows in Toronto and LA. How did it feel to get to celebrate Blue in the Dark’s one-year anniversary with so many of your fans?
RC: It was awesome. Both of the shows selling out were cool as fuck like that was awesome.
DC: Especially Chain [Reaction]. Toronto, I don’t want to say we expected it to sell out, but we knew it would be cool because it’s kinda where we’re from. Chain is really far from home.
RC: That’s a venue we grew up loving, and we watched bands play there. It’s like now we’re headlining here. It’s a really cool feeling, and we’re super grateful for it to play to that many people there.
DC: It’s a cool spot. They have a bar now. It was good vibes.
RC: Just to celebrate the album too, it was awesome. It felt like we’re releasing a new album this year, and it was just putting a cap on that record and appreciating everything it did for us.
DC: We got to play songs we normally wouldn’t. Doing a headliner set, we had the whole light show going on and all that. It’s nice! I mean, you get to put more into a headliner. When you’re supporting, you get to do the songs you want to do, but to headline is like your show. If you want to do a cool light show, have a nice backdrop and all that, you can.
RC: The pressure’s on.
DC: The pressure’s on, but that’s alright because we like the pressure.
In terms of the album, do you find any challenges in being able to be so honest and raw about the stories you tell with your music?
DC: A little bit!
RC: I mean [Dougie] talks about his life a lot, and his lyrics are super honest.
DC: I think Nothing Here Is Permanent was a bit of a different thing because it was like our first kinda piece of music that was that honest. With Blue in the Dark, we had already done an EP of kinda being in that world, and we did it with the same producer, so it was pretty comfortable. Not the physical — we slept in a studio for a month with no windows, so that wasn’t that great.
RC: The album felt like a continuation of the EP but on a higher scale.
DC: There are some songs that came out of it, like “Blue in the Dark” and even “Tide” being thrown on there, different songs like that that made it cool. We got to try so many things.
RC: Lyrically, “Tide” is also a super personal song for Doug, and it was really cool to hear that side on the record. All the lyrics and the way we composed the songs are super honest, and it’s who we are truly.
DC: Yeah, we never try too hard.
RC: We just write what we want to write. That’s why all of the genres of the songs sound so different too, because we’re into so much stuff. That really shows when we’re writing songs because it’s like, “Who knows where this one could go?”
Speaking of the new record, will fans be seeing any major differences between Blue in the Dark and the new music?
RC: We definitely tried some new stuff on this. It’s pushing the boundaries of what Bearings can be, for sure, but it still stays in the world of Blue in the Dark.
DC: Yeah, I would say it’s interesting because it’ll sound quite different, because we did it with a different producer this time around, and we did it in Los Angeles-
RC: We’re way too cool now. I’m kidding.
DC: I do think the songs have a bit of a summer vibe. It’s actually funny because half of the songs have a certain lightness about them.
RC: Half of the record could be this upbeat, fun record, but half of the record’s like a darker, more emotional side, so it’s a mix.
DC: It’s not too different from Blue in the Dark.
RC: The new songs, we were just listening to them today in the van, and we’re stoked on it. We’re super excited. It’s some of the most creative we’ve done.
DC: Yeah, I’m excited! It’s hard to talk about because we know how different and crazy it is at times, but also how it’s still us.
RC: You’re not gonna hear it and be like, “This isn’t Bearings.” You’re gonna be like, “They’re really pushing the boundaries-”
DC: Yeah, I just really want to show it to people. That’s the toughest part. You just gotta wait, and we don’t even know when it’ll be out. You have to release it properly, be on a proper tour, do a few music videos first and all that. We know it’s gonna be a while until it’s out, but it’s such a rough go. We just want to put it out.
Aside from those shows, you’ve been pretty busy these past few months! From doing the Grayscale tour last fall to playing some holiday shows, how have you adjusted your performances for the different shows that you’ve been playing?
RC: Every time we do a tour or a show, we try to mix up the setlist a little bit. At the end of the day, we play the songs we want to play and the songs that have the best responses crowd-wise. There are a few we can’t escape like they’re always gonna be there. Doing the headline shows was fun because we could play 12-13 songs, but with shorter sets, we only get to play seven or eight so we really gotta pick and choose which ones we want to do and which ones the fans are gonna love. Sometimes it’s tough, but we enjoy playing every song. It’s never like, “Oh, I don’t want to do this one.” We genuinely like them all.
DC: That’s why we’re growing steadily. That way, we never have a bunch of songs that people like and we’re stuck with playing. We’re actually doing this on purpose.
RC: Yeah, we don’t want to do an “All The Small Things.” We have “All the Small Things” in our back pocket if we need it.
DC: If we’re like, “Let’s buy a house,” we whip it out.
RC: When we hit 30, we’re whipping out “All the Small Things.” Wouldn’t want to bring it out too early.
More recently, your last releases were your two singles, “So Damn Wrong” and “I Feel It All.” These songs have a bit of a different feel from Blue in the Dark, so did you find yourself listening to anything different or drawing influence from new places when writing those songs?
RC: We listened to a lot of different stuff than we did even two years ago.
DC: I think the process was different too with our workflow. It was done with the same producer from the new record. I think it was just an opportunity to try something different. I don’t really think that the new record sounds like those two songs necessarily.
RC: They fit on the record though.
DC: They fit, but it’s not like that. It was a different process, a bit of a different writing process, just a bit of a different vibe.
RC: Every year, I find that we’re listening to a bunch of different artists, and that does play a part in the way that our songs come out because we’re influenced by them. I think the biggest change was writing with a different producer and trying out new things. That’s really what made these new songs sound different. We’re just trying to push it forward; we don’t want to make another Blue in the Dark.
DC: To add to that, they’re simpler songs, and I think they’re simpler in arrangement, but it’s almost a challenge to write simpler.
RC: Yeah, to nail down the hook or good feeling we’re going for. We’re not trying to overcomplicate.
What are you currently jamming to on the road?
RC: Honestly? “Sicko Mode.” We just discovered “Sicko Mode,” so we’re like, “Hell yeah, this is cool.” I think we’re about two years late.
DC: I showed the lads “The Spins” by Mac Miller last night.
RC: When did that come out? 2009?
DC: It’s not on Spotify so it’s a pain to listen to.
RC: We were all in a circle last night just like, “This is so good!”
DC: But honestly the big records for us have been that new Third Eye Blind record... That’s the thing: I feel like we jam so much in the van that it’s tough-
RC: The Justin Bieber album’s pretty cool. Some of the songs are alright.
DC: The new Four Year Strong’s pretty good.
RC: We discovered this new band called blink-182. That was cool. I’m kidding. The 1975, too. All of their new singles are great.
DC: They’re a cool band because we’re the kinda band that doesn’t try to stick too hard to a genre or doing one thing. We like to do our own thing, and they’re the kind of band to look at and take inspiration from because they just do whatever they want. They can do a punk song, a weird, trippy, folk thing, and then do some weird loopy stuff. They can just do whatever they want, but that’s what makes them so cool.
Photo Credit: Brandon Dacosta
Let’s get into some fun questions! Some artists have songs titled after famous figures or characters, so who is someone you’d name a song after?
DC: That’s a tough one. The first one that comes to my mind is Leonardo DiCaprio. Maybe not Leonardo, but the DiCaprio sounds sick. You could roll with that AND he’s a badass in every movie.
RC: What rhymes with DiCaprio, you know? He’s his own guy. I’d probably shout out Tom Brady in a song. Love that guy. Let’s hope he stays with the Patriots, right, guys?
DC: Yeah, the song’s just called “GOAT.” It’s goat noises for an hour.
RC: G-O-A-T. Fucking touchdowns.
DC: You know the goat version of that Taylor Swift song? It’s just that. It’s that, but over a Bearings song.
Which Bearings song?
DC: Which song has good goat possibility?
RC: Probably “Sway.” Just like baa. That’s one of the new ones.
DC: Either that or “Transient Colours” because you can get some long baa’s in. You could go for a while.
What’s your dream venue to play?
RC: Wembley Stadium. That’s shooting for the stars. Just imagine that though: you walk out at Wembley and it’s sold out.
DC: You walk out with a million bucks in your pocket.
RC: That’s the ultimate dream.
DC: You have to play Wembley, and literally after your set, buy a car. That’s the only way to do it.
RC: Yep! Four cars, couple Toyotas.
DC: I’d say Wembley too. I feel like arenas are fairly similar.
RC: Like Madison Square Garden?
DC: Madison Square Garden is unique though. We’ve already played a lot of the venues we grew up wanting to play. We’ve played Chain, we’ve played [924] Gilman.
RC: There are some in Toronto that’d be cool-
DC: That’s true! To play Rebel or something or The Opera House-
RC: We’ve played The Opera House.
DC: But not headline it! It’d be a different vibe because we could put on a proper show. Let’s go with Wembley. Bearings at Wembley. Let’s manifest it!
Anything you’d like to say to your fans?
DC: The record’s done. It won’t be out for a long ass time.
RC: Probably five years honestly!
DC: But we just gave you two song names that will be on it, so do with that as you will.
RC: Thank you for coming to these shows that we’re currently on!
DC: Yeah, thank you for traveling to all of the shows and being absolutely unreal people and singing along.
RC: Hopefully we see you at a show this month!
There is nothing quite like a Bearings set, and it’s clear to anyone who watches them that they can put on quite the show. Regardless of who Bearings play with or where they are in the world, they always receive a great amount of love from their passionate fans that will not hesitate to open up the pit or scream along to every lyric from Blue in the Dark. It’s exciting to imagine where this new record will take Bearings in the future because their sound continues to evolve without losing that classic Bearings feel. Who knows? Maybe one day, they’ll actually have a song featuring some good goat noises! Be sure to keep an eye out for new Bearings music!