Hailed by Variety as one of the best music podcasts of 2019 and dubbed a “first-of-its-kind revelation for music fans” by American Songwriter, iHeartRadio has released a bonus episode of the critically acclaimed, Jingle Punks produced podcast “Bear and a Banjo.” The bonus episode, titled “Bear and a Banjo: Live from Winston House,” features exclusive commentary by executive producer, creator and co-star Jared Gutstadt as well as a live, 3-song acoustic performance from the Bear and a Banjo band, comprised of Gutstadt on guitar and acclaimed record/vocal producer and songwriter Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd on vocals. Recorded live at Venice Beach’s Winston House, the powerful, intimate performance marks the first time the group performed music from the podcast to a live audience. The episode also includes a Q&A with Gutstadt and “Poo Bear,” moderated by Winston House founder Corey McGuire. Listen to the episode HERE.
The Winston House performance was also packaged into a 3-song EP which released today through EMPIRE Nashville. Titled “Live from the Winston House,” the 3-song set includes live acoustic versions of songs featured in the podcast – “Can You Hear Me Now”, “Gone But Not Forgotten”, and “No Way (That’s Not America).” Get the EP HERE. The official music video for “Can You Hear Me Now” also released today via all digital platforms and can be viewed HERE.
On Friday, February 14th, the official full-length “Bear and a Banjo” soundtrack will release through EMPIRE Nashville, marking the label’s first album release, and will feature an exclusive unreleased bonus track. All music was written by Jared Gutstadt and Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, and produced by T-Bone Burnett. Zac Brown contributed vocals to “Can You Hear Me Now,” and Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics for “Gone But Not Forgotten.”
“Bear and a Banjo” made its debut on the iHeartPodcast Network in October of 2019, peaking at #2 on the Apple Podcast chart, and gaining 500k + listeners to date. Winning the hearts of both fans and critics alike, the podcast found its way on multiple best-of 2019 podcasts lists in outlets including Variety and Billboard. Staring Dennis Quaid as narrator, Dr. Q, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd as lead character Bear, and Jared Gutstadt as lead character Banjo, the podcast also featured a handful of guest appearances throughout its 8-episode run, including Rosanna Arquette, Zac Brown, and acclaimed Hollywood writer Nic Pizzolatto, who co-wrote episode 7 titled “Ain’t Going Nowhere.”
About “Bear and a Banjo”:
Bear and a Banjo is a new musical podcast that tells the incredibly tall tale of a band that time forgot. Although history may have left them behind, Bear and Banjo rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest musical icons in history—from Leadbelly and Sister Rosetta Tharp to Little Richard and Bob Dylan– unwittingly influencing the course of 20th century Americana. All their adventures are meticulously archived and presented by Dr. Q, played by Dennis Quaid. Featuring an original soundtrack produced by Oscar-winner T-Bone Burnett (O’ Brother Where Art Thou, True Detective), Bear and a Banjo is an immersive musical journey through old weird America during the big bang of recorded sound.
About Jingle Punks:
Jingle Punks, Anthem Entertainment company, is led by Dan Demole – Global President, Jesse Korwin – Managing Director, Brian Wahlund – SVP of Content, and Matt Chambless – Executive Creative Director. The team writes and produces music for a number of high profile projects in the TV, film, radio, podcast and brand space. Now a multi-faceted music publishing and licensing giant, the company has redefined the jingle industry for the modern era, not only creating brand defining music for an array of accounts such as Pepsi and Jack Daniels; TV series “The Voice” and “Pawn Stars”; films like Lego Ninjago; and countless country records, but also having collaborated with artists including Steven Tyler, Lil Wayne, Timbaland, Nas, Ty Dolla $ign, G-Eazy, Brad Paisley, and Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few.
For more about Jingle Punks, visit:
Twitter: @jinglepunks
Facebook: @jinglepunks
Instagram: @jinglepunks
YouTube: Jingle Punks
Official Website: JinglePunks.com