Years ago, a laid-back, musically-inclined dude from Barrie, Ont. named Afie Jurvanen moved to Toronto. Sure, he could have been a star out of the gate, but he was too damn busy backing up other local musicians such as Jason Collett and Leslie Feist.
He travelled the world in this capacity, but starting writing his own tunes before releasing a collection of his own material under the name Bahamas entitled Pink Strat — after his favourite guitar. It struck a chord, ahem, and garnered the easy-breezy musician a Juno Award nomination.
“The biggest factor was just time. I've spent so many years away from everything, you know — away from home, my own music, friends, things that are really important to me,” he says. “I did that for better or for worse, so when the last round of fiesta touring finished I had some other offers to go away and play with people. I thought, no, at some point you just go for it, you know.”
Jurvanen had forged a new path for himself, and thanks to Jack Johnson and the folks at Brushfire Records, he has a record deal and a new album and some serious muscle for a big push south of the border.
His new album, Barchords, was released last week, and Jurvanen is no longer a secret. Maybe it’s his mellow playing style, or his honest and emotional lyrics, but people are digging his sound. And Barchords is definitely a step forward for Bahamas.
“I don't consider myself laid back, and I don't consider myself amped up,” he says. “I just move through the world at a slower pace.”
Bahamas plays a free show tonight at The Dakota Tavern. And if you miss it, rumour has it that he will be back in April for a ticketed show.
