The brainchild of Denver-based singer/songwriter John Runnels, Morning Bear is an orchestral indie folk project that channels emotion through vivid imagery and intricate melodies. The songs touch on themes of mental health, of following your dreams, of growing older, and of the doubts of life and love. Characterized by highly dynamic compositions, Morning Bear’s music is a synthesis of the calm and delicate stylings of artists like Bon Iver and Jose Gonzalez with the complexity and depth of the Fleet Foxes and Sufjan Stevens. Featuring soaring vocals and atypical arrangements including cello, violin, piano and more, Morning Bear provides a textured landscape behind pop-influenced hooks.

“...Celeste, is a hauntingly beautiful, orchestral indie folk EP demonstrating tremendous promise from this up-and-coming Denver musician.”
-Alli Andress, AXS.com

Since forming in early 2014, Morning Bear has released two EP's and a single, has toured extensively both nationally and internationally, and has had their music on rotation at college and public radio, including NPR. After a long hiatus, Morning Bear returns with his first new single this September, "The Splitting of the Wood"
-Past live sessions at Open Air CPR, KVOQ-FM (an NPR station), KRFC Fort Collins, CO, KPSU in Portland, OR, and KUCI in Irvine, CA.