Björn Óli Hardarson had been writing songs for years. Then a breakup in 2020 pushed him to stop waiting and start building something real. He played a demo called "Higher Times" to Davíð Antonsson Crivello — they'd connected through their mutual friend, Kaleo guitarist Rubin Pollock. Davíð came in to drum on the track. Before they knew it, they were writing and producing together. Bear the Ant was born in early 2021.

The name carries a contradiction on purpose. The bear is the weight — instinct, power, the heaviness of feeling. The ant is the restless detail — persistence, collective energy, the small strange work of making something from nothing. Their music lives in the tension between the two.

Stylistically, Bear the Ant circles a territory that's hard to pin down: psychedelic, soulful, loose, improvisational, melancholic, but melodic. The sound is colored by psychedelia with deep roots in soul and rock. Two songs from their debut EP hit No. 1 on X977's rock and alternative charts. By 2024, they were playing Iceland Airwaves with an expanded live configuration — brass, backing singers, the full experience.

The core was born as a duo: Björn and Davíð writing and producing everything. But as the live shows expanded, Hjálmar became the crucial third piece, transforming Bear the Ant into a trio. On stage, the sound expands into something bigger — a full-band experience where improvisation meets structure and intimate songs open into something enormous. The live energy is half the point.