Since their early days, Bear's Den have been known for their folk rock and acoustic sounds. However, the band saw a few adjustments over the past year, founders Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones looked at the changes as opportunities to evolve as a band. And now with the release of their latest album, Red Earth & Pouring Rain, the band moves into richer soundscapes while still staying true to their honest songwriting ethic. To celebrate the release of the new album, we compiled some facts for you to get to know this London band more. Here are the 10 things you should know about Bear's Den.

They Went From a Trio to a Duo

When the band first got together in London in 2012, Bear's Den was a trio — Andrew Davie, Kevin Jones and Joey Haynes — however, earlier this year, after over four years with Bear's Den, Joey signed off, turning the band into a duo. "After over 4 years, hundreds of shows across three continents, performing for and meeting people from all over the world and playing music with some of my best friends, it is time for me to say goodbye to Bear’s Den," he said in a letter to the fans.

They Also Changed Up Their Sound a Bit

If you manged to catch their last tour, Bear's Den have been layering more sounds onto their live set. So when it came time to record Red Earth & Pouring Rain, it seemed natural to follow that path and build up the songs more. "It's more just an expansion of sound. We just wanted to create more soundscapes. We wanted to create something more cinematic and more nostalgic sound, and the addition of synths and electric guitars help us do that," Kevin explains.

And That Led to More Musicians Onstage

"In the studio, you come up with whatever it is you're going to play," he says. "We needed more hands on deck for the live set because of the different sounds we have for the new record."

He also adds, "[As] a touring group, we're a six-piece. So we're very lucky to have the guys to help us out with the new music."

"Fortress" and "Napoleon" Weren't Planned

While they knew where they wanted to go with the new album, Bear's Den did come up with two songs that weren't originally part of the tracklist before heading into the studio. "Two songs were written in the studio quite spontaneously," he says. "'Fortress' and 'Napoleon' sort of came up. We weren't planning to record those. So I guess those two had quite unique processes."

The Album Draws Inspiration From an American Road Trip

"[The US] played a big role," he conveys. "The cultural appetite for music in America is quite different than the UK – in a good way. But I think you talk to anyone at a bar, and they can tell you the name and and name of the genre of whatever band it is. We did a lot of driving at night. We were listening to radio, and I don't know. There was something about driving and listening to music."

Jeffery From 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' Stars in "Auld Wives"

When watching the video for "Auld Wives," you'll notice a familiar face, especially if you were a fan of the hit '90s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Joseph Marcell, who played Jeffrey the butler, makes a cameo in the visual. "It was actually the director," Kevin reveals. "He's a friend of ours and lives in the flat above me. He's in theater, and Joseph is a Shakespearean actor. He was doing something at The Globe [Theater] and thought Joseph would be great for the part, and that was that."

"Gabriel" Looks at Relationships

"I guess it's about your relationship with yourself and your relationship with your friends. And how those two things match up," Kevin explains.

But They Want the Fans to Find Their Own Relations to Their Songs

"It's important for us not to say what [song meaning] is right. So they can come up with their own meanings into the lyrics," Kevin adds.

Bear's Den Have More on Their Musical Bucket List

"I think, creatively, there's still a lot to accomplish," Kevin says. "It's quite natural that straightaway you finish the album, and then the next album you build on what you learn. Definitely on a creative level, there's loads we really want to do."

Tours and More Tours

"We tour the UK and then tour the US till pretty much December. But after that, I would expect even more touring," he admits.

Kevin also can't wait for the fans to hear the new material. "There are a lot of songs on this record that are fun to play live," he continues. I think 'Dew on the Vine' is really fun to play live. 'Red Earth & Pouring Rain' is great to play live. You know, the whole record, we can't wait to play everything."