Ohbijou have become a staple of Canada's indie music scene in recent years, but we may have heard the last of the Toronto ensemble, since the band have announced that they will be going on an indefinite hiatus.
This isn't a breakup per say, but there's no indication as to whether the group will ever perform together following their farewell show later this summer. The gig will take place at Toronto's Great Hall on September 7. The bill will also feature the Rural Alberta Advantage, Snowblink, the Wooden Sky and the Acorn.
The band, who are led by songwriter Casey Mecija, formed in 2006. They released three albums, most recently 2011's Metal Meets. Ohbijou appeared on Exclaim!'s cover back in 2009.
We'll leave you with a statement from Mecija about the hiatus:
Ohbijou has chosen to go on an "indefinite hiatus." For the past 8 years we have shared experiences of music and friendship that extend beyond any dream imaginable. We are sad to close this chapter of our lives, primarily because our time together as a band was also often marked by an unbridled sense of hope and possibility. In the beginning, our youthfulness buffered the long hours spent traveling in small vans to play late hour sets; our surety that being in a band would make us young forever cushioned the harshness of being paid in beer and press. In the beginning, we turned down commercial offers sure that they compromised our potential to create change, through art, in our local communities. In this, we feel successful.
Unfortunately, it is time to take pause and allow for new experiences. However, we do not leave without feelings of swelling gratitude. We are thankful for the media who have paid us respect and for the collective of musicians and artists who we surround ourselves with. We are forever inspired by our travels to places we never thought we would visit. From Thunder Bay, Ontario to Arabaki, Japan we have met so many people who have impacted us. We are thankful for the promoters and venues who have welcomed us on their stages and to everyone we have worked with and who helped us along the way. Thank you to Steven Himmelfarb, Beth Cavanagh and Indoor Recess, to our record labels and to Remi Arora for his continued support. Thank you to our friends, families and partners who have patiently showed love and support through this adventure. Lastly, we are grateful to those who have listened to our music, attended a concert and made space for us in their lives. Thank you.
You can buy tickets to that farewell show here.
This isn't a breakup per say, but there's no indication as to whether the group will ever perform together following their farewell show later this summer. The gig will take place at Toronto's Great Hall on September 7. The bill will also feature the Rural Alberta Advantage, Snowblink, the Wooden Sky and the Acorn.
The band, who are led by songwriter Casey Mecija, formed in 2006. They released three albums, most recently 2011's Metal Meets. Ohbijou appeared on Exclaim!'s cover back in 2009.
We'll leave you with a statement from Mecija about the hiatus:
Ohbijou has chosen to go on an "indefinite hiatus." For the past 8 years we have shared experiences of music and friendship that extend beyond any dream imaginable. We are sad to close this chapter of our lives, primarily because our time together as a band was also often marked by an unbridled sense of hope and possibility. In the beginning, our youthfulness buffered the long hours spent traveling in small vans to play late hour sets; our surety that being in a band would make us young forever cushioned the harshness of being paid in beer and press. In the beginning, we turned down commercial offers sure that they compromised our potential to create change, through art, in our local communities. In this, we feel successful.
Unfortunately, it is time to take pause and allow for new experiences. However, we do not leave without feelings of swelling gratitude. We are thankful for the media who have paid us respect and for the collective of musicians and artists who we surround ourselves with. We are forever inspired by our travels to places we never thought we would visit. From Thunder Bay, Ontario to Arabaki, Japan we have met so many people who have impacted us. We are thankful for the promoters and venues who have welcomed us on their stages and to everyone we have worked with and who helped us along the way. Thank you to Steven Himmelfarb, Beth Cavanagh and Indoor Recess, to our record labels and to Remi Arora for his continued support. Thank you to our friends, families and partners who have patiently showed love and support through this adventure. Lastly, we are grateful to those who have listened to our music, attended a concert and made space for us in their lives. Thank you.
You can buy tickets to that farewell show here.