On The Verge

Bahamas

Toronto, Ontario
Painful Inspiration
www.bahamasmusic.net

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Afie Jurvanen, who records under the moniker Bahamas, spent several years playing guitar and piano with Feist before striking out on his own full-time. The Canadian native released his debut album Pink Strat in 2009 and Barchords earlier this year, which “is more of a sonic statement—more musically realized—than my first album, which was basically recorded live,” he says. “The songs deal with me and my relationships and I don’t spend a lot of time trying to mask those things in metaphors and sound effects.” Jurvanen describes his sound as “folk music with hints of country, a whisper of rock and roll, and notes of blues.” He admits that pain inspires his creation process, as the happy love songs “haven’t stood up the way the darker material has,” and also cites Doug Paisley, Willie Nelson and Neil Young as musical influences. “I’m not someone who worries about re-creating my albums when we tour,” he adds. “I prefer to be more musically malleable, able to interpret the songs in different ways night to night.” Jurvanen tours with a drummer and two singers—but not a bass player—so he has to come up with different arrangements to make the songs work, he says. “And to my ear, it seems that all the elements are there: rhythm, melody and harmony.”