LUCIDMEDIA

Ohbijou: Family, Friends, and Music

Written by Sebastian Frye Wednesday, 22 July 2009 08:39

Three things are important for Ohbijou: family, friends, and music. To isolate any single one would weaken the spirit of the whole.

Ohbijou was formed in Brantford Ontario by Casey Mecija and later relocated to Toronto Ontario. In its infancy, Ohbijou was the solo work of Mecija, but she later invited her sister Jennifer to play alongside her. Being a talented violinist, Jennifer enriched the sound of Casey's eerie but tender voice and provided a new depth for Casey's songs. This depth would be further explored once Casey and Jennifer moved to Toronto to attend Ryerson University and the Ontario College of Art and Design, respectively.

At this time, 2004-2005, the independent music scene was flourishing in Toronto. Acts such as Gentleman Reg, The Wooden Sky, The Acorn, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Forest City Lovers and Bruce Peninsula were gaining momentum, and Mecija and her sister quickly found compatriots in this crowd. Enlisting the talents of Heather Kirby on bass and banjo, James Bunton on drums and trumpet, Anissa Hart on cello, Ryan Carley on keys, and Andrew Kinoshita on mandolin, Ohbijou was complete.

Listening to Mecija speak about the atmosphere which has grown out of Ohbijou, one could imagine that this band was destined to be together. "We know each other so well, and we've been playing music together for about four years now, I would call everyone my brother and sisters, because we spend so much time together,” she says. “Even more time than we do with our own families."

Like every well-run household, the doors of Bellwoods, the affectionately named home of the band, are always open. "Everyone has their own projects that they work on...Ohbijou has never ever taken opportunities away from people," says Mecija, "Ryan Carly, our keyboard player, has a project called Kite Hill, Anissa plays with various bands, like the Wooden Sky, Heather used to play with Gentleman Reg... and Jamie, our drummer, is always recording and producing records. So, everyone makes time for what they need to do on their own."

In the background behind Mecija's voice over the telephone I can hear, what I imagine are the other band members, talking and moving about the household relaxing for the time being. But, when it comes time to making music there is no pulling teeth. While not quite like the family dentist appointment, practice and writing are dedicated times when the band needs to commit themselves. "We know that, [because] there are so many of us, if one person or two people are distracted it doesn't really work out as it should,” she explains. “We come into writing and practices knowing that - out of the 24 hours in a day - that that is the 2 or 3 hours we have to focus on this."

Trying to gain insight into the band's ethos is more difficult than one first imagines. Reading interviews from other publications, Ohbijou seemed to be painted as a sweet family unit always living in harmony. But the truth is a little different. Ohbijou has managed to dissolve the barrier between family-unit and friendship, finding a way to cohere underneath the blanket of their music.

"Having known the other members for so long we know how to push each other, but we also know how to recover,” says Mecija. “It's important for our friendship to get past petty, cranky moments," she adds, clarifying that everyone has their bad days, but it's a matter of seeing the whole picture, of keeping the music in mind.

Music, that tool which has proven to be such a revolutionary force, is always at the forefront for Ohbijou - it is what adheres the friendship, and converts that friendship into family. But Mecija remains humble and modest, claiming what is bringing large groups together like Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Midwest Dilemma, Animal Collective, I'm From Barcelona, and Ohbijou is just a chase for the right sound. "I think that it's just because there are more people you can collaborate with and more ideas...it perhaps makes the sound more dense and more thick, which can make it more exciting for the listener...[but] it's a collaboration of ideas that drives it."

The key to the harmony that Ohbijou displays through their own example of musicianship and companionship is the word 'ideas.' It may be presumptuous to write, but it is often the case that bands, families, friendships, and relationships fail because there is an unwillingness to share ideas and collaborate - to listen. One side maintains that he/she is right and will not budge, but an organic malleable nature is what gives any relationship integrity, structure, and richness.

Ohbijou is still a young band, and saying that four years in is a good thing. Think of innumerable bands which strode into our collective consciousness, strutting their chops with nowhere to go. Ohbijou have been noticed early and are developing slowly - maturing at a pace where expectations evaporate and pressure is alleviated. They have spent as much time developing their friendships, and family attitude, as they have their music, and are no worse for it. No singular vision dominates the group. It doesn't hurt that the band was formed by a pair of sisters, and not one person's irrefutable ideal.

It is humbling to hear Mecija's level voice, so charming and distinct, gracefully explain what really changes when a band starts becoming more popular, moving into the public spotlight: "It's [about] trying to stay organized,” she says. “The more projects you work on, or the more shows we decide to play - it just feels like there is less time to fit everything in."

She reiterates, "It's just about being organized and maintaining a healthy communication between everyone that works with us."

In the background, what sounds like the voice of Ryan Carley giggles, a nice juxtaposition between the motherly words of Mecija and the kind of lightness the band needs to maintain. The more one tries to peel apart the aspects of Ohbijou's method, the stickier it gets; the more it protects itself; the stronger it becomes. What holds everything together though is still the music. Mecija is clear about that much. Their goal is the same no matter what happens: "Whenever we play music, we always want to make an impact."