Bear McCreary talks Slash, squeezeboxes, and ‘The Singularity'

Boston Globe

20-05-2025

But when he was writing his rock concept album, 'The Singularity,' in 2023, he said, he knew he'd want to perform his own music live. 'I looked in the mirror and thought – am I going to be Keyboard Guy at my own rock show?'
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In the end, he had been studying guitar for less than a year when he played onstage beside his teenage musical idol, Guns n' Roses guitarist
'To this day, I would struggle to play 'Let it Be' on an acoustic guitar, but I can play my own rock riffs!' he said gleefully. 'I'm just always trying to learn new things.'
As McCreary prepared to embark on the American leg of his 'Themes and Variations' tour with a seven-piece band, he spoke with the Globe about the musical friendships he's nurtured, reconnecting with his Armenian roots, and teaching himself the accordion at age 19.
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Q.
On the Themes and Variations tour, what repertoire are you prioritizing to play live?
A.
Each of these people has played with me for years. Lead singer and acoustic guitar Brendan McCreary is my brother. I've been making music with him my entire life. Paul Cartwright, my violinist, played on the first episode of 'Battlestar Galactica'; he's played on every episode of 'Outlander' and 'Rings of Power;' he's integral to my sound. I'm bringing Gene Hoglan, who was the drummer on 'The Singularity.' Everybody has that kind of personal connection to me.
So the repertoire is a mixture of some songs from 'The Singularity' with themes from my scoring career, reconfigured a little to translate to this rock ensemble. Many of my scores make that leap easily. Like, when we play the theme from 'The Walking Dead,' you're gonna hear Paul on violin playing that main title piece just like on the original recording, but then as it evolves we get to bring the band in and supercharge it. Being able to bring these melodies into an environment where you get to see those of us that actually created it on stage; there's something really special about that for me. It's epic and emotional, and potentially loud. Bring some earplugs. It's a rock show.
Q.
You mentioned you're part Armenian; did you know the Boston area has a huge Armenian community?
A.
As does Glendale, out here. When I first moved to southern California, I was walking around seeing women that looked like my grandmother, and I was surprised because I didn't know much about my Armenian heritage growing up in Bellingham, Washington. My great-grandmother, who escaped the genocide and came through Ellis Island with her babe in arms, had a very common experience to some Armenians. They really wanted to create new roots, so they didn't raise their children speaking Armenian. They wanted to be American.
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It was through Armenian musician circles [in L.A.] that I met Serj Tankian [from hard rock band System of a Down], and my brother and I have become very close with him. I haven't yet returned to Armenia, but that's on the horizon. I've been working on a theater piece about my family's journey for the last 20 years, and it will be something I get to one of these days because it's a harrowing, incredible story.
When social movements take hold that try to oppress people, one great way to [further those movements] is to make sure that movies and games and shows don't feature oppressed people. So I'm always on the lookout. I like being part of stories that I think are important.
Q.
What are you working on that tells those kinds of 'important stories?'
A.
This is going to sound silly, but when I started working on 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,' and there was a Black elf and a Black dwarf, I was like, 'People will see there's a diversity of people in Middle Earth.' I think that's cool. I also don't think it's a big deal – like, we're talking about fantasy! But I knew there'd be treatises online about why [having Black characters] is impossible.
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To which I'm like – that's a silly thing to get mad about, but I was proud of everybody on the show, and those actors are phenomenal. The show's doing well, and I have felt I'm able to do my part when they come on screen. They're heroes; I'm going to give them a hero's fanfare. I am making it contextually clear who this character is to the audience.
Q.
What made you decide to learn the accordion?
A.
I took piano lessons when I was a kid; in high school, I loved getting my friends together and playing in bands. I
hated
being stuck behind the keyboard. I hated it! But I didn't play guitar. So the accordion…you can see where I'm going with this. I can move around! It's funny, because I got the accordion when I was 19, and I was down in the basement of my dorm in college practicing and learning it. People would come downstairs because they were annoyed, because it was echoing through the cement halls, but they'd be standing there. My hair wasn't as long as it was now, but I'd be thrashing my head around, and when I was done they'd say – often – 'you look like Slash!' And of course, I loved Slash's playing. I played accordion like I wanted to be Slash, which is funny because now I work with him.
Q.
Have you told him that story?
A.
You know what, I haven't. I should admit it. Maybe he'll read it in this article.
Interview has been condensed and edited.
BEAR MCCREARY
May 23, 8 p.m. Somerville Theatre. www.bearmccreary.com
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A.Z. Madonna can be reached at