William Stanley "Bear" Rinehart III[5] (born September 6, 1980; also known by the stage name Wilder Woods) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who is a founding member and lead singer of the rock band, Needtobreathe. In 2019, he announced the launch of a solo career under the name Wilder Woods. His debut solo album was released on Atlantic Records in August 2019.[6]
Career
In April 2019, Rinehart began releasing music under the name Wilder Woods, starting with the songs "Someday Soon" and "Sure Ain't". The stage name comes from the names of Rinehart's two oldest sons, Wilder and Woods.[4] His debut solo studio album was released in August 2019 by Atlantic Records.[7] The album debuted at No. 20 on Billboard Emerging Artists and No. 2 on Top Heatseekers. The album single "Supply & Demand" peaked at No. 27 on Adult Alternative Songs chart.[7] He has also been a featured artist on a variety of songs for acts like American Authors and others.[8][9]
In December 2019, Norwegian DJ Matoma, Michigan-born producer Petey Martin,[10] and Wilder Woods debuted the single "Keep It Simple".[11] An acoustic version and remix with Rayet followed in 2020.[12][13]
In February 2021, Rinehart independently released "sink our love now (work tape)" under his Wilder Woods moniker.[14] The demos "man made weather" and "heavenly light" debuted in the following months.[15][16] In April 2021, Rinehart released the work tapes ep which included the three songs.[17] Rinehart recorded each of the demos by himself in his home studio in Franklin, Tennessee.[18]
