In Toronto, the band expanded to include Heather Kirby (bass, banjo), James Bunton (drums, trumpet), Anissa Hart (cello), Ryan Carley (piano, synth, glockenspiel, electric piano, harpsichord), and Andrew Kinoshita (mandolin). In the context of Ohbijou, Casey remains as lead vocalist, though also plays guitar, piano and ukulele. Jennifer continues to add vocal layering, moreover, her instrumental contributions to Ohbijou include violin, harmochord, glockenspiel, organ and melodica.
The music of Ohbijou, which draws on pop, folk and bluegrass influences, has been classified in the indie pop genre. Casey has cited the music of Canadian songwriter Julie Doiron as an inspiration. The music has been described as being similar to Bic Runga and Mazzy Star, and called "hushed, heart-tugging music".
Since the release of their debut album Swift Feet for Troubling Times in 2006, Ohbijou have played festivals across Canada, including the Osheaga Festival in Montreal and the Hillside Festival in Guelph. They played the opening set for the Virgin Festival in Toronto, and were nominated for the 2007 Galaxie Rising Stars Award of the CBC, competing with artists such as IllScarlett, Final Fantasy and Emily Haines of Metric. The band were among the organizers of a 2007 compilation CD, Friends in Bellwoods - based out of Mecija's own Bellwoods Ave. Toronto home and practice space for Ohbijou and their friends - as a benefit for Toronto's Daily Bread Food Bank. In 2008 they were chosen as one of three bands for the Banff Centre's first Indie Band Residency, where they had the opportunity to spend two weeks working with some top producers and recording engineers.
Their music has been playlisted on CBC Radio 3. Their song "St. Francis" peaked at #4 on the network's weekly charts in December of 2006, and ranked as the #34 song on the network's year-end singles chart. More recently, Ohbijou was included in the April 5, 2008 broadcast of CBC Radio's The Vinyl Cafe and chosen as Aux.tv's X3 Artist of the month for August 2009, in partnership with CBC Radio 3 and Exclaim!. As well, Casey Mecija was named one of Chatelaine's 80 Women to Watch for 2008.
Ohbijou is nationally distributed through Outside Music. The band released their sophomore album entitled Beacons in the spring of 2009.
Casey Mecija recently covered The Beatles "Dear Prudence" for American Laundromat Records charity CD "Sing Me To Sleep - Indie Lullabies" which releases worldwide on May 18, 2010.
Ohbijou is...
Casey Mecija – vocals, guitar, ukulele, piano
Jennifer Mecija – violin, harmochord, Glockenspiel, melodica, vocals
Heather Kirby – bass, banjo
James Bunton – drums, trumpet
Anissa Hart – cello
Ryan Carley – piano, synth, Glockenspiel, electric piano, harpsichord
Andrew Kinoshita – mandolin
Black Ice
Ohbijou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
all the lonely people meet down there
I sat on a pile of cigarettes and blew
icicles with one sharp breath towards you
There's black ice,
no sign
to fit in everything in a small time
The winter brings a heaviness, this weight
is a hand over the things I shouldn't say
There's black ice,
no sign
The lyrics to Ohbijou's song Black Ice discuss themes of loneliness, isolation, and the weight of unspoken thoughts and feelings. The song begins with the singer taking a bus down Barthust Street and observing the "lonely people" who gather there. The setting is cold and icy, with the singer blowing "icicles" towards an unknown recipient. The imagery of the icicles adds to the feeling of isolation and the distance between the singer and the person they are addressing.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on their attempts to "fit in" and the pressure to cram everything into a "small time." The winter season exacerbates this feeling of heaviness, giving weight to the unspoken thoughts and feelings that the singer struggles with. The repeated refrain "there's black ice, no sign" underscores this feeling of uncertainty and danger, as the singer tries to navigate the slippery slope of loneliness and isolation.
Overall, Black Ice is a poignant and introspective song that explores the difficulty of communicating our true selves to others, especially in the face of societal pressure and the weight of our own thoughts and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I took the bus down Barthust Street and saw where all the lonely people meet down there
While travelling down Barthust Street on a bus, I saw a place where lonely people gather.
I sat on a pile of cigarettes and blew icicles with one sharp breath towards you
I perched on top of a heap of cigarette butts and exhaled sharply, forming icicles that I directed towards you.
There's black ice, no sign
There is an invisible danger in the form of black ice on the ground.
Temper me and temper this, I've tried to fit in everything in a small time
I have attempted to compact all aspects of my life into a brief period and yearn for some control over my emotions and circumstances.
The winter brings a heaviness, this weight is a hand over the things I shouldn't say
With the onset of winter comes a weight of emotions, restraining me from speaking what I shouldn't divulge.
There's black ice, no sign
There is an invisible danger in the form of black ice on the ground.
Contributed by Alexis B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Emily Gibson
Best song ever!! Thanks for posting
Griffin Jurisson
R.I.P. Ohbijou
Indican
Griffin Jurisson Wow, I was not aware they went on an indefinite hiatus. Just looked them up to see if they had anything new since it's been 4 years since their last album, and then I saw your comment. :(
Fadl K
Still love this song in 2023 <3
GrahamCrackers
Thanks for the memories