By Jim Barber
Some of the distinctive, most badass, most impregnably genuine, most compelling and profound artists to name The Nice White North of Canada dwelling, Bif Bare has spent her lifetime and profession pushing boundaries, defying expectations, and issuing forth artwork that’s as unfiltered and open as it’s memorably melodic.
After releasing her newest studio album, Champion, final yr, Bif Bare went on a unique type of tour as she traversed the continent, making appearances in soft-seat theatres and conferences in help of her movie, Bif Bare: A Documentary (streaming on Tremendous Channel). Every sold-out screening featured a Q&A with Bif and the filmmakers, in addition to a particular stay, stripped down musical efficiency.
“Raise Me Up,’ a track composed for the movie, was just lately launched as a brand new single, and has already generated a groundswell of popularity of it’s unabashed positivity and message of affection and endurance.
Music Life Journal’s Jim Barber, who chatted with Bif Bare final yr concerning the documentary (insert hyperlink), had one other dialog with the now-Toronto primarily based artist, finest identified for songs corresponding to ‘Spaceman,’ ‘Fortunate,’ and ‘I Love Myself As we speak,’ concerning the new track. The interview has been barely edited for functions of readability, circulation and to keep away from repetition.
MLM – So is ‘Raise Me Up,’ the primary of one thing resulting in a brand new album? Or is it simply form of a standalone for now?
BN – ‘Raise Me Up’ is from the documentary. I can’t say sufficient good issues about Ezra Sipes my co-writer. So Ezra and Gabe Sipes are a pair of brothers that we truly signed to [Bif’s own record label] Her Royal Majesty’s Information within the Nineteen Nineties. Lots of people don’t bear in mind, however when Her Royal Majesty’s Information was like pumping it again within the early 90s, we signed bands.
The Approach Out was this band that was Gabe and Ezra Sipes, who to this present day stay to me anyway, probably the most prolific songwriters and musicians I’ve ever come throughout. So songwriting with Ezra is one thing that’s, if I’ve alternatives to collaborate with him, it’s one thing that I bounce on the probability to do as a result of being in the identical room with him makes me aspire to be a greater human.
Ezra is such an unbelievable human being. His humanity, the pureness of his coronary heart and his musicality is otherworldly, but additionally he simply writes from this place of, I don’t know, I can’t describe it. He’s identical to, man, this man is simply so earnestly loving and so hopeful. And people lyrics in ‘Raise Me Up’ are very, very hopeful lyrics. He permits me to view my craving and my concept of romantic love in the identical method.
And so this track may be very a lot reflective of that. And it’s such a hopeful track that, you already know, I don’t write from this place that love is a drug, blah, blah, blah. The way in which this track is, it’s simply such a track of hopeful craving that I couldn’t have written with anybody else.
MLM – Is he nonetheless in a band now or does he write for different individuals?
BN – He has a studio, and he works with a whole lot of different individuals. He is also a solo artist, Ezra Ben Shalom. Yow will discover him on Instagram. And he has his personal solo albums. He is also a Juno nominated artist. They’ve a band referred to as the Oot n’ oots. And my favourite track by the Oot n’ oots is ‘Tiny Horsey,’ which is a kids’s document.
MLM – I feel I learn someplace that you simply of us have form of been chipping away at this track for some time. Has it had an extended gestation interval?
BN – Yeah, it’s a imaginative and prescient that Ezra had for fairly a while. I at all times suppose that folks have extra confidence in me than I do, at all times. And Ezra is a type of individuals. I’ve been pals with him for, you already know, 25 years.
I fail at romance all the time. And I feel that Ezra, alongside together with his spouse Rio, they simply think about me that I don’t have in myself on the subject of romantic love, believing that someday my prince will come. Yeah. It’s form of the dream that the bridge actually speaks to within the track. Singing one thing like, ‘come on, lover man, take me by the hand’ is one thing the place I might suppose I can’t say that. And Ezra’s like, ‘sure you’ll be able to. Manifest this, dare to dream. Sure, you’ll be able to say that. Sure, you’ll be able to sing that. Why not?’ It was a type of issues the place Ezra was identical to, ‘yeah, you’ll be able to. You could be that susceptible. You possibly can say this stuff. You possibly can put it on the market.’
MLM – So are you asking this lover man to carry you up? Is that one of many contexts? As a result of I feel there’s a deeper which means to the positivity of your lyrics.
BN – In fact, individuals are at all times going to take lyrics, you already know, and apply them to their very own life. However I feel the factor that offers this track legs and why it resonates with individuals, is that the world is at all times going to be a dumpster fireplace. Individuals are at all times going to suppose the world is so unhealthy as a result of there’s at all times one thing terrible happening, you already know, whether or not it was within the late Eighties with El Salvador or whether or not it was Rwanda or whether or not it’s now with the Center East and America, you already know, no matter it’s geopolitically, there’s at all times going to be one thing of a dumpster fireplace on the earth.
So you’ll be able to apply the track to that and say the world’s a catastrophe and search for hope in any track that you simply’re going to take heed to. You possibly can apply it to any considered one of our private lives. You recognize, I’m a divorcee chronically. I can’t appear to discover a truthful particular person. Or there are numerous folks that we all know who’re dropping their mother and father or they’re dropping, you already know, their grownup kids or their siblings.
In so some ways, individuals are experiencing loss they usually’re experiencing moments of studying or reflection. And so a track like this or any love track, any track about heartbreak, individuals are going to narrate to it they usually’re going to seek out both consolation or hope in a track like this.
MLM – I’m enjoying beginner psychiatrist right here, however do you’re feeling incomplete with no romantic accomplice, with out your proverbial lover man, just like the one on this track? I’m asking as a result of one of many issues I’ve discovered as I’ve careened into outdated age is that happiness is a alternative.
It’s not reflective of the state of affairs you’re in or the particular person you’re with. It’s the selection to be completely happy and really feel full and approaching a relationship from a place of energy the place you don’t want the opposite particular person, you need the opposite particular person.
BN – Oh, completely. That’s 100% true. And I feel that applies to lots of people. That’s why courting apps are standard. That’s why individuals are continuously doing that kind of matchmaking and whatnot and why TV reveals about matchmaking are standard as a result of individuals are at all times craving they usually’re looking for, and they’re continuously doing the swipey factor or no matter it’s referred to as on their telephones.
I feel that, for our technology notably, we’re of the age now that individuals are taking a look at their lives, their youngsters are launched, and now they’re dealing with themselves and each other and going, wait a minute, what do I really need? They’re actually taking inventory of their lives and questioning what it’s that makes them completely happy, what it’s that makes them full. They are surely reassessing what’s happening for themselves.
It’s an enormous second for everybody. I feel again within the day when our mother and father had been our age, issues had been completely different. I feel now there are completely different decisions individuals could make. And sure, happiness is a alternative. It’s at all times been a alternative for individuals. And, you already know, as soon as that gentle bulb goes on for individuals, individuals could make large shifts of their lives.
MLM – One other factor that I form of received by means of the lyrics was the road, ‘we might discover some land and develop our personal meals. We’ll break all our plans and stay true.’ That’s one factor that I’ve form of embraced is simplicity in life. Though that’s written throughout the context of a relationship I feel you’ll be able to apply that to any state of affairs. Like, maintain it easy, silly.
I feel we stay in a really difficult world. And this can be a message that, whenever you pare all of it down, whenever you put life by means of the crucible – and you’ve got been by means of a crucible as a result of I’ve watched the documentary and I’ve talked to you quite a few instances through the years – whenever you come out the tip, you come away stripped from a whole lot of the pretense and a whole lot of the, you already know, ‘issues.’
However I consider the world continues to be telling individuals to be difficult. You’ve received to have 17 completely different factors playing cards, and also you’ve received to have this tremendous new cellphone, and also you’ve received to be on completely different streaming providers. Why not simply get a bit of land and develop your personal meals?
It’s not nearly romance on this track. It’s about whether or not you wish to say love is happiness or love is contentment or love is satisfaction. Am I on course in any respect?
BN – Completely. Completely. It could possibly apply to any aspect. And other people will take from it what they wish to as a result of, in fact, it’s subjective.
MLM – As somebody who creates music and artwork, how vital is music and artwork – not simply to distract individuals, however to assist different individuals course of life and to offer individuals pleasure and to have the ability to categorical themselves. How vital do you suppose music and artwork are on this world? And do you suppose it’s extra vital now than ever?
BN – I do. As a result of I do know for myself, as a music fan, generally songs actually assist me replicate on what I’m going by means of in my circle of relatives and my very own life. I do know that when my sister was recognized together with her breast most cancers, the Anoushka Shankar document Flight had simply come out, and I nonetheless can barely take heed to it with out crying. The primary opening notes of the document simply evoke such emotion in me, and at all times will, as a result of it’s simply hooked up to that feeling for me.
And there are such a lot of different information. Lifeless Can Dance has which means for me. Completely different items of music are hooked up to moments in time for me, they usually at all times can be. It’s simply superb. Even issues that I hear at this time, new items of music that I’ll hear, whether or not they’re up to date or classical, I’ll consider my mom, who’s beginning to drift a bit of into her personal form of, not dementia, however outdated age. I really feel badly as a result of I feel, ‘ah, she would love this.’ She loves music a lot, however now I can’t share this together with her. Beforehand, I might have the ability to ship her a bit of music that I do know she would love. I can’t do this anymore, so then I really feel badly about that, or I really feel form of nostalgic about it, or issues that I feel that my late father would really like.
I do know that music connects us in so many various methods. There’s a Parisian dance track that I despatched to my pals in Montreal final yr, as a result of I knew they’d find it irresistible. And it’s nonetheless our track. Each time they’re having a foul day, we share that track forwards and backwards, and it at all times brings us pleasure. I consider that music is extra vital than ever to attach us and assist us both get by means of a day or bear in mind a sense. It’s simply so vital.
MLM – How do you’re feeling when individuals come as much as you and say, one specific track or normally phrases that your music means a lot to them, that it helped them by means of a tricky time? That should be a strong and even humbling factor to listen to from somebody as a result of that’s not essentially why most musicians and songwriters got down to write songs.
BN – After I was youthful, I had a whole lot of bother listening to that. I discovered it deeply flattering and really humbling. However I’m the form of individual that may be very fast to deflect, you already know, as a result of I might by no means need anybody to suppose I used to be making an attempt to be particular in any method. I’m the primary particular person to attempt to reduce something like that. And, you already know, I feel that through the years, simply with being mature, I’ve tried to be a bit of extra gracious and simply attempt to say thanks.
As a result of I got here from a Minnesota mom’s upbringing, it’s very troublesome for us to take compliments within the first place. Nevertheless it’s very, very humbling to suppose that my music would have an effect on anybody in that method. For sure songs and with sure lyrics, I do perceive, like ‘Inform On You,’ for instance, or songs that perhaps have described abuse that I had endured that I wrote about autobiographically. In these situations I’ve to essentially, actually be current for the individual that’s chatting with me concerning the track and what it means to them. Even in a crowd or in an extended autograph lineup, if somebody is actually chatting with me and being very open, I attempt very onerous, irrespective of how busy it’s, to essentially be there for them and actually take heed to that. I at all times actually attempt to be there for that particular person and actually share that second and actually make them really feel appreciated. And I do admire that they’ve stated that, and it means so much to me.
MLM – How does the creation of music assist you to, the artist, and the way has it helped you through the years? You probably did point out within the documentary that music, whether or not it’s the creation of music or performing or getting concerned within the music enterprise, form of saved your life. However even at this stage of your life and profession, is it nonetheless that vital an outlet for highly effective feelings and a solution to course of what I name the nice, the unhealthy and the ugly of life for you because the creator of this music?
BN – Oh, nothing’s modified. And that’s unlucky as my physique ages as a result of all I wish to do is dive off the stage, and all I wish to do is write these rageful, vindictive songs. As a feminine, now I discover that as I age, there’s a unique kind of discrimination that occurs. It’s humorous as a result of I’m a practical particular person. I used to be by no means that form of misandrist form of feminist or something like that. I’m not going to be foolish about growing old or something like that, however I like to save lots of my rage for the lyrics. You recognize, I want I had been, you already know, a youngster that may very well be in a hardcore band, wouldn’t that be enjoyable? However I’m not. Yeah. I’ve to grasp the place I’m at in life.
I’ve an unpublished guide of poetry referred to as Razorblade Chewing Gum and I at all times maintain stuff like that near my chest. However then I feel why? Why be treasured about it? I’d wish to put it on the market. And right now I’m engaged on one other guide, which I’d wish to perhaps within the subsequent 5 years publish it. I don’t know. We’ll see.
MLM – One other biographical kind work like I, Bificus or one thing else?
BN – It’s extra of an observational essay – quick tales form of factor. However undoubtedly not fiction. I’m not a fiction lady. So we’ll see. The I, Bificus memoir got here out over 10 years in the past now, so it’s time to toss stuff else on the market, as a result of I really feel like I’m a unique particular person. I, Bificus can also be a really well mannered guide, and I’m not as well mannered a woman. And what I imply by that’s that guide was very politely edited. My writing was a bit of completely different than what was revealed. I’d wish to put out one thing that’s a bit of extra manifesto-like. It’s a bit of extra information to life-y – a bit of extra whimsical, a bit of extra tongue-in-cheek and a bit of extra enjoyable. However, yeah, one thing that’s a bit of extra digestible for individuals.
MLM – Much less filtered.
BN – Yeah. One thing a bit of extra racy. Somewhat extra enjoyable.
MLM – Now that you simply’ve had time to type of sit again and replicate, what was the response to the documentary? How did individuals react to it, and what suggestions did you get from those that noticed it, particularly as you had been in your tour?
BN – I cherished that setting. The factor that I notably cherished was the truth that once we did the screenings, we did them in these theaters – tender seaters. So the viewers was principally the identical viewers that might come to my live shows, they usually’re the identical age as me. Significantly for the Q&As the home lights would come on, and I’m looking at myself, principally – they’re all my contemporaries. And we’ve all been by means of the identical issues. We’ve all began dropping our mother and father and our pets, and most of us in all probability have been by means of a divorce or two.
Many introduced their companions with them. Many people have skilled most cancers or automobile accidents or, you already know, home fires or regardless of the case. And it was simply actual shit, actual conversations. We had a number of laughs. There have been some questions, for certain, about this album or that album or stuff that went on within the documentary that was recent that they wished to ask about. And as you already know, I’m lengthy within the tooth, so there have been a number of solutions that might result in different questions, and me asking questions again.
It could typically change into a really lengthy evening, and it was very gracious of many of those theaters to remain open lengthy for us. There have been a number of tears on my half and theirs. As somebody who’s a busy working one that’s at all times been, since I used to be 18 years outdated, solely doing this, I don’t have a social life. That is what I do. I’m a performer. That’s it. I’m a performer and a performing artist. That’s all I do. For me, that is my group, so for us to collect like that for an evening, was superb. Subsequent time, let’s convey our pets, and subsequent time, let’s have a potluck. You recognize, as a result of actually, that is my group. That is our group.
Nevertheless it doesn’t really feel bizarre. As a result of we could be ourselves. Life is difficult. Life is fucked. We don’t have pensions, and we now have automobile funds. The children are launched, however they’ll’t purchase homes. Half of them don’t need youngsters themselves and the opposite half made everybody grandparents at 40.
We will all sit there and discuss how issues had been simpler once we might simply go to the smoke pit in highschool, you already know. And we snigger and we fucking cry as a result of we’ve all misplaced individuals. Most of us have misplaced our fucking dads, and the remainder of us needed to have our dads transfer in as a result of no person can afford nursing properties or there’s a ready record that’s so fucking lengthy, they’ll’t take them. Or as a result of our mother and father have Parkinson’s that’s dragging out. Or like my mom, who had a mind bleed after a fall, went to hospice and didn’t die quick sufficient, received kicked out of hospice after which needed to go to a nursing dwelling that’s affiliated with one of many church organizations that doesn’t consider in me, despite the fact that she was eligible. Proper.
These are actual issues that everybody in my viewers goes by means of, all of us, as a result of we’re all in the identical technology. You recognize, the Boomers truly had it straightforward. They’re on the golf course. All of them have pensions. They’re good. It’s like, we’re wonderful, you already know, however we truly nonetheless put on Vans and skateboard. We all know we’re fucked, however we’re cool, you already know, in order that makes me snigger.
It was this collective laughter that we shared, but additionally this simmering undercurrent of communal grief, as a result of we now have this shared fuckedness. All of us acknowledge that we now have this and the technology immediately beneath us is unbearable. They’re identical to unbearable little corridor screens.
I find it irresistible as a result of that is one thing that I didn’t have, and I by no means get this chance to attach with the viewers at my rock live shows on this method, ever. As a result of it’s like, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang 90 minutes is finished. I’m off. And everybody’s like, ‘it’s two within the morning. See ya.’ Proper. They’ve received to get dwelling; they’ve started working within the morning, or they’ve received pets which can be ready or regardless of the case. In that regard, [the documentary screening tour] was simply so significant and so touching and simply so, you already know, nourishing. My coronary heart was full each single evening.
MLM – However is that this perhaps providing you with one other avenue to do that type of tour extra typically, perhaps for the guide of poetry. Perhaps it may be half poetry studying, half TED Speak, half, you already know, give and take session and simply do this in addition to. It simply sounds prefer it’s an entire different avenue of expression and group for you as to simply you. And for those who really feel like whipping out your guitar on occasion and enjoying a few tunes, all’s the higher for it.
BN – You might be talking my language, Jim.
For extra data on ‘Raise Me UP,’ and different actions/output from the inimitable Bif Bare, go to https://www.bifnaked.com.
