Bear is Driving
Bear Is Driving brings a confident, offbeat charm to Tulsa indie rock, with sharp hooks, energizing riffs, and a band roster where every member is credited with “vibes.” Their first Tunes @ Noon brought the house down, with showmanship, personality, and a current of energy that moved through the Gallery.
The band came together in 2022, when Ben Fu and Michael Mitchell started playing and writing songs on guitar. They asked Ben’s then-15-year-old daughter, Sadie, to sit in, and something clicked. Ben says the songs “immediately sounded more complete.”
Long before Bear Is Driving had a name, a tiny Sadie sat behind a full drum kit on a big school stage at her kindergarten talent show while Ben accompanied her on guitar for “Seven Nation Army.” Several years later, at another talent show, she returned to the same song, this time drumming and singing at age 10. Ben remembers it as a full-circle moment.
Today, Bear Is Driving features Sadie Fu, Ben Fu, Michael Mitchell, Brendan Rolland, and Zack Reeves, with vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, percussion, and “vibes” all in the mix. Sadie also plays guitar, piano, ukulele, and drums, and she is not the only one in the band with that kind of range.
Their songs move with head-nodding grooves, bright hooks, and guitar-driven energy. Their 2025 debut album, How Can That Be?, was recorded entirely at The Church Studio.
