Retro duo rekindle the best of 90s

DARK, gritty, angsty pop with paranoid androids and great electro hooks. Welcome to the world of Mischa and The Bear.

- By David Coughlan

"It's a sound we really liked and it felt like there's not many Irish acts doing that, so it might be fun to do that.

And no, the Drogheda duo's name has nothing to do with the old kids' cartoon Masha and The Bear.

"No, everyone asks that, it's actually from our middle names," says Bear (AKA Firinne McIntyre).

"Danny's middle name is Mischa and my middle name is Berneen. My parents have always called me Bear at home, so it kind of just seemed obvious.

"I didn't realise the cartoon was so popular. We'll have to put in our bio that we're not affiliated!"

Mischa is Danny Rooney, formerly of the band Modern Love, and together the pair have been working on music for the past year.

"It just kind of happened naturally. I'm constantly producing music and Fírinne would jump in at times when I'm working on something, 'Oh I've a suggestion, you should do this...'" says Mischa.