Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Sasha & The Bear
- What is your earliest memory connected to music?
Both of us – Dov and Sasha – grew up around music. Our parents are musicians, so music always felt like part of our DNA from a very young age.
- How did your passion for creating music begin?
Sasha started singing at a very young age, while Dov began taking guitar lessons at the age of six. Dov’s mom was actually a guitar teacher, so music was always present in the house.
- What’s the story behind your current music project?
Sasha and I met around 13 years ago in NYC. Sasha needed a last-minute guitarist for a TV interview performance, and although we already loosely knew each other through a similar circle of friends, that was really the first time we properly connected.
We met up to rehearse three songs and immediately clicked creatively and personally. From there we became very close friends, and in 2022 we decided to officially start Sasha & The Bear together.
- How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Indie / alt-pop – raw, emotional, real, and imperfect.
- What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
That perfection has no place in art. Sometimes the raw take is the best one, and there’s no reason to fight it. We’ve learned to embrace imperfections and the humanity inside the process.
- What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Our setup is actually very simple and stays pretty consistent: Ableton, electric and acoustic guitars, sometimes bass guitar, ukulele, a MIDI keyboard, and a good microphone.
- Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
There are so many, but lately we’ve both been really loving Leyya and NoSo.
- How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
In every possible way. Music for us is a vessel through which we process the constantly changing journey called life.
The truth is that life is hard no matter where you come from, and the more you learn to process it – not only internally but outwardly too – the more peace you can find within it.
Our music is simply a reflection of our lives, both as individuals and as best friends. It’s like long late-night conversations turned into melodies and lyrics.
- What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
Whatever they personally feel from it. We create music to process our own emotions, but we never want to dictate how people should interpret it.
Every experience is unique, yet somehow shared at the same time. We’re all connected in some way while still carrying completely different stories. Whatever the music means to someone within their own life is what we hope they take from it.
- What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
That everything is temporary, and creating is an evolution.
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Perfection is a lie. Creating is one of the most human things we can do, even when it feels messy or imperfect. Life itself is imperfect, and there’s beauty in embracing that.
- What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Probably Glastonbury Festival.
- If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Bon Iver. Justin Vernon has been a huge inspiration for both of us – not only musically, but also in the way he approaches creating art.
- Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sashaandthebear.music/
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4EiQ7nB2HocY11jkvyriLY
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sasha-the-bear/1174165261
- Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To keep creating music exactly the way we do now – as best friends traveling together and experiencing life together.
- What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
Our little story – two best friends doing what they love together without worrying too much about how “good” it is or how successful it becomes.
At the end of the day, it’s really just two friends making music and having fun together.
