Meet John Runnels of Morning Bear in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Runnels.

John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Music has been a part of my life since before I could walk. In elementary school, I would get in trouble for singing too much in class. I picked up the guitar at 14 and started writing songs. I had played as a solo singer/songwriter for years until I started my current project, Morning Bear. Things changed for me in March of 2014 when I quit my day job and took a one-way ticket to Europe. I spent six and a half months traveling Europe with just a guitar and a backpack, playing on the streets for change, and writing a lot of the material that ended up being released as Morning Bear. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of going on many US tours, a few European ones, and in the highlight of my music career so far, played Red Rocks for the Film on the Rocks series (before The Goonies, one of my favorite childhood movies)!

For my music, I do the best I can to give a genuine and vulnerable performance. Music to me has been a way to process tough emotions, and I hope that through my music, people are able to get through the hard times. And, perhaps, make their good times even better.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Music is a notoriously difficult industry to “make it” in. In the course of my music career, I’ve had a great deal of challenges and hardships. I’ve arrived at gigs out of state, only to have had them cancel when I arrived at the door. I’ve had equipment stolen. I’ve played to empty rooms. I’ve played to rooms full of people who are only interesting in talking and heckling. I’ve slept in my car more times than I could count. I’ve eaten nothing but PB&Js for days at a time. I’ve been scammed by savvy folks who prey on the hopefulness of new and naive musicians. But despite everything negative, it’s all worth it for that feeling of playing on stage and having an audience “get it.”

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
As with many creative projects, there are multiple forces pulling you in different directions. I do my best to make music that is saturated in emotion. I try not to worry too much about whether people will like it, if it’s radio-friendly, etc. as I fear that will dilute the spirit of the song. I want to capture in my music the moments and stories that will move people. When a listener tells me that a song has meant something to them, I am filled with joy that I could give them that experience. It’s what keeps me going.

More concretely, Morning Bear’s sound is set apart by big dynamic swings from quiet, trembling lows to exalted highs and by the orchestral instrumentation. The dream is to play Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra someday!

I have a livestream Thursday November 12 at stone cottage studios. Here’s the link https://stonecottagestudios.ticketspice.com/morning-bear-live-stream

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
One act of generosity that changed the course of my life was that of my elementary school music teacher – Gary Bragg. He gave me free piano lessons once a week just because he saw passion and potential in me. When I ‘graduated’ elementary school, he told my parents to buy me a guitar and put it under my bed. He said I would pick it up when the time is right. I hope someday to pay it forward because, without his influence, I would not have walked the path that I have.

Pricing:

• T-Shirt – $15
• CD – $5
• Private Concert (in CO) – $200
• Private Concert (continental US) – $700

Contact Info:

• Website: https://morningbearofficial.com
• Email: j@morningbearofficial.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/johnmorningbear
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/morningbearofficial
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnmorningbear

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.