BAHAMAS

FINDING INSPIRATION IN A CUP OF COFFEE

Canadians find paradise in Toronto-based folk rock band, Bahamas. Backed by an enthusiastic fanbase, Afie Jurvanen, under the solo moniker Bahamas, joins the lineup for the 2013 Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Bahamas has demonstrated obvious musical talent in his first two albums, Pink Strat (2009), which was nominated for a 2010 Juno award, and Barchords (2012). The guitar, piano, drums, and voice are strengthened with experience not only playing spontaneously and casually for family and friends, but touring with Feist, Howie Beck and Jason Collett, among others. Bahamas comments that the “voice is a unique thing… you don’t want to sound like anyone else… but I’d say it’s rock and roll, it’s the best of blues and country.”

Bahamas’ to-the-point style delivers upfront lyrics laid against a simple, pseudo-folk-indie-rock-blues tapestry of instrumentation. Bahamas’ uncanny, raw poeticism and inventive melodies carry subtleties, from “Lost in the Light,” the first song of the Barchords album, entrancing the listener with the haunting, stark reality of vulnerability and intimacy, to “I Got You Babe,” introducing more voices, experimental riffs and a take on the heart and soul of experimental blues.

Bahamas’ creativity flows from a deep place within, also known as the coffee cup. Admitting that the creative process usually involves “drinking coffee and playing guitar,” Bahamas’ style is a keen captivation of what listeners have been yearning for since folk musicians first began: musical talent, poetic lyrics and delicate emotion.

“I love Folk Fest, it’s so wholesome… I feel really lucky. I play pretty quiet music and it’s nice to know that people come and they just want to listen…” says Bahamas. Audiences can expect an artist who is willing to challenge the boundaries of music, experiment with instruments and their parameters, and deliver the lyrics, melodies and spirit of a unique, distinguishable and mesmerizing folk rock, blues-y sound.

Catch Bahamas as part of the Calgary Folk Fest on Friday, July 26.

By Amanda Taylor
Photo: Dave Gillespie