Beija Flor

‘All of the kids that we’ve grown up with have at some point gotten sick of Calgary or gotten sick of Alberta and they moved away to Vancouver, Montréal, Toronto, New York, Chicago—just spread themselves out. I’ve always wanted to try and invest in Calgary and instead of going where the action is try to start the action in Calgary and in Alberta. It’s a struggle trying to be an artist in this province and I think Edmonton is the exact same way.”

A lot of commentators have mentioned that the economic boom that Alberta has been going through for what seems like forever now—at least to people who pay rent—can be a double edged sword for artists. While all of the money flowing through the province ensures that the national media has started to pay attention to the cultural happenings of this province, the rising cost of living has meant that artists and musicians have been forced to seek greener pastures in other provinces. Stephen van Kampen of Calgary’s Beija Flor has his own double edged sword to deal with thanks to the Alberta boom; the frustrations of living in Alberta may tempt him to leave it all behind like many of his compatriots have, but they have also provided him with plenty of fodder for interesting songs on his band’s newest album, The American.

“A lot of people have said that this record is just slashing away at Alberta. Even the title, The American, is about Americanisms that go on in Alberta and, yeah, there’s definitely some angry songs,” he says. “The first track, ‘Life of a Salesman,’ I actually am a travelling salesman and so I live in Edmonton half the time in hotels and it’s about that complete loneliness of constantly having to be on the road doing this, and then there’s other songs like ‘Poor Man Rich City’ about how I used to work in a warehouse in Calgary and just the frustration of being a part of the working class in a city that’s so rich with oil, and the poor are just completely forgotten about and how it’s gotten worse as well. No matter where we go within Alberta that’s something that rings true in all of the cities we go to.”

While there is some positive stuff on the album—van Kampen points to the song “Sunny Boy,” which is about his young son, as a good example—the record is rather dark. Ironically, says van Kampen, even though one of his most positive songs may be about his son, the act of having kids has made his wife and himself even more frustrated with the dominant worldview in Alberta that can sometimes seem to revolve around money, with little regard for families or quality of life.

“Before we started to have kids we’d be angry or fed up with the status quo but we were kind of like armchair critics—we weren’t really living it. Whereas now, my son is five years old and we just registered him for school and his school is a half hour drive away from our house in Calgary. When I was a kid I walked to school every morning no problem,” he laments. “It’s these types of things, like taking away walkable neighbourhoods, that no one in Alberta seems to want to change. Definitely having kids has increased our wanting to stay here and wanting to affect change because now we have some roots here. Now we have something to fight for beyond ourselves, which makes it a better fight.”

That fight has changed sonically as well for the band. When it first burst upon the Calgary scene in 2003, the band played a mathy brand of post-punk and its angry political songs growled with the fury one would expect from such a group. This sound was reflected on Beija Flor’s first album, 2005’s The Quiet Ones and the Lonely Ones, whereas The American reflects a more subdued, singer-songwriter confessional style.

The changes in the sound were necessitated by—surprise, surprise—a member getting fed up with Alberta and heading west for the greener pastures of Vancouver. This led the band to take on a number of new members in an effort to fill the void, and in doing so, the instrumentation changed allowing for the softer sounds Beija Flor currently broadcasts. At six members—including the other remaining originals, Matt Bayliff and van Kampen’s brother Paul, as well as newcomers Brett Gunther, Henry Hsieh and Hoyee Wong—the music is much more lush and layered, and reflects a variety of influences instead of just punk ones. One of the songs on the album, titled “Dear Jon,” even deals directly with the question of the band changing, asking former guitar player Jon Reddit what was so good about Vancouver.

“[He] had a solo project at the same time called Sea of Is and he moved it west with a couple of other guys out to Vancouver. Because of that we kind of put the band on hold shortly after our album in 2005. In 2006 or 2007 we brought in some new guys,” explains van Kampen. “It’s kind of turned into a six-piece—it was never really our intention to do that and people have made all the comparisons, ‘Oh, its like a collective, oh, its like Broken Social Scene or Arcade Fire,’ but whatever, that wasn’t our intention. We had a hole and we wanted to fill it and this is just how it happened.”

How it happened has led to a reinvigoration of the band, and plenty of success, especially considering the group has done it entirely independently. After getting burned on the last album due to its record label dissolving, van Kampen says the group was determined to do the legwork themselves this time. Every CD available in a store has been consigned in person by the band and they paid for recording and pressing themselves—even going into debt in the process.

“We decided to release this record independently and we did go into debt, but at our CD release party we got out of debt. For whatever reason our CD release party sold out and we sold tons of CDs and it was really great because it created a little money pool for us to tour with and record more with. We were blown away by it,” van Kampen enthuses. “The independent life has really served us well—we’ve been more successful being self sufficient than we ever were on a label. I think if we don’t do the work, then no one else will either.”

And they’ve certainly put in the work. Not satisfied by the band’s stage show, and taking inspiration from the lights at a Radiohead concert, van Kampen set out to create a smaller scale version that would work for the band—whose members wired and programmed the light box themselves. In fact, the stage show could just be the most exciting part about the band.

“It’s kind of evolved over the years. What basically happened is, y’know, you’d get to an all ages show on a hot sunny saturday afternoon and basically all you do is turn all the fluorescent lights on and kids stand around and watch you play and I always wished we could make it a more intimate exciting performance rather than just a band playing in a gymnasium,” van Kampen says. “I wished that we could have some sort of light show that would work with our music without being some sort of cheeseball pyrotechnics Kiss shit. So I built this light box and we’ve got it to a point where it’s a series of switches that I control with my feet. We’ve had it ever since and it’s kind of become our trademark. We figure if people don’t like our music maybe they’ll enjoy the flashing lights.” V - The Vue Weekly

Among the fabulous line-up at this years Folk fest were a few artists I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with at the media
tent, including Beija Flor, Trish from The Be Good Tanyas, Julie Doiron and John Wort Hannam. I also had an exclusive
interview with The Men They Couldn’t Hang, stay tuned for that one!


I’ll start with Beija Flor, local Calgary band who has
the sound to take them straight up to the top. This
group of friendly musicians consists of Stephen van
Kampen (vocals/guitar), Paul van Kampen
(vocals/piano/organ), Brett Gunther (guitar/vocals),
Henry Hsieh (bass), Matthew Bayliff
(drums/percussion), and Hoyee Wong (violin). Their
music spans genres and makes them a perfect addition
to the Folk Fest. Personally I think these guys have
not gotten the attention they deserve until now but
their plans seem to indicate they are well on the way
to world domination, musically speaking of course.
They’ve recently been branching out and figuring out
how to manage touring around with a 6 piece band
and all the equipment. Gearing up to make that big
purchase – a touring van – Beija Flor plans to take
their show on the road, first west, then east, then
wherever the wheels roll them. Soon the rest of
Canada can experience the always catchy tunes of
Beija Flor’s most recent album, The American, which
is available on www.kerfmusic.com, and iTunes as
well as at any of their shows.

Beija Flor strikes you as one of the hardest working bands today. Their music is meticulous and complex, with thoughtful
lyrics and complete consistency. They are incredibly involved in their craft, working hard writing and practicing very often, but
that doesn’t mean they don’t like to have fun. Joking around with fake accents, making wisecracks and constantly laughing
with each other, Beija Flor is an instantly friendly and inviting group of people who seem to be a tight knit unit of pals. They
obviously love their music and very much enjoyed sharing it with those attending the festival and those involved in workshops
with them, including Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo), Greg MacPherson, the Weakerthans and the Hanson Family among others.
Their first year at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Beija Flor is a Calgary staple that only has ever expanding horizons from
here. Beija Flor is in the works with their next album and can next be seen playing with Elliott Brood on September 18th at the
Warehouse in Calgary.

- Mod May Promotions

Far too often in life it's easy to settle -- good enough is often good enough, or at least good enough to make do.

Stephen van Kampen knows the pitfalls of that and, conversely, knows the rewards of seeing something through to its ideal conclusion.

The latter comes by way of his band Beija Flor's latest CD The American, a long-anticipated followup to 2005's The Quiet One and the Lonely One, the local act's debut and a prime example of the former.

While acclaimed upon its release three years ago and good enough to cement the band in with a growing scene of like-minded artful Calgary indie pop acts that now includes The Summerlad, Vailhalen and Woodpigeon, van Kampen admits corners were cut.

Not so this time out.

"We made a deal we were not going to spare any expense on this record," says van Kampen over a cup of coffee, explaining the time between Beija Flor's two recordings.

"We went a little bit into hock to get it done and it took a little while . . . but it did come out the way we wanted it to.

"On our last album we found it really hard to recreate our live show. One of the biggest issues with that is dynamics -- we like to get really small and really big and very orchestral. We couldn't get that to happen on the first record . . . On this one, I think we pulled off the dynamics."

The American is a remarkably ambitious and equally enthralling listen, that cocoons you in before unfurling its many wonders and surprises. Musically, the warm, rich, 12-track disc is comparable to say, a rootsier Arcade Fire or a more organic OK Computer, and is both epic in scope and style.

Van Kampen gives much of the credit to producers Diego Medina and The Summerlad's Arran Fisher, who were eager to help Beija Flor realize its vision. But more should be given to the six-piece's ability to deftly incorporate its many influences -- everything from pop and rock to country, world and classical.

"We grew up on Nirvana, Led Zeppelin and stuff like that," van Kampen says of the band, which also features his brother Paul, along with Brett Gunther, Matthew Bayliff, Henry Hsieh and Hoyee Wong.

"Then we really got into the hardcore punk scene. And slowly but surely we started to get into the indie rock scene and then somehow we got into folk and, next thing you know, now I've got Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska in my car. And if I look at it from an objective point of view, it's a country album. And I never thought, if my former self could see me now, that I'd be listening to country," he says noting that doesn't include the new country of Shania Twain or Garth Brooks.

"I could swear that there's something in the water, because if you live in Calgary, a little bit of country twang will come through."

It would seem a little bit of cynicism is also local birthright -- and that comes through loud and clear on some of the lyrics on The American. Songs such as Dear Jon and Poor Man Rich City have been singled out for their decidedly dark take on the city's boom, at how "prosperity" has changed a place most of the band members have known since birth.

"We don't want to be misunderstood," the 27-year-old van Kampen says. "We were born and raised here, most of us in the band . . . and we do love Calgary, that's why we're being a little venomous about it because we're trying to change it for the better.

"If we didn't believe in Calgary and believe in its ability to change then we wouldn't still be here."

Nor would he, it should be noted, want to raise a family here, something he's already done, with one on the way and another at the age four. In fact, single-handedly countering the darkness and cynicism appearing on The American is the album's best moment, Sunny Boy, a wide-eyed, XTC-esque ode to his son, London, which features the unabashedly proud poppa line: "You're as handsome as your mom is pretty/You're my best friend, baby buddy/You saved my life/You saved my life."

"It's kind of been the surprise hit of the record," van Kampen says. "It's the kind of thing he'll be embarrassed by when he's 17 and maybe proud of when he's 45." - The Calgary Herald

The American is the second album by Calgary band Beija Flor. Since it's release in December 2007, the band has garnered positive reviews from the press, not to mention the sold out crowds and a great performance at the High Performance Rodeo in January of 2008. The band has morphed, but the music has remained as sophisticated and multi-faceted as their previous album. At times heavy with whiskey soaked lyrics, yet very melodic. - Kerf Music

Fans of avian-associated esoteric-piano rock are in for treat. Calgary’s premier humming-bird-minded band, Beija Flor, is slated to drop their first album this month.


“I’m pretty happy with it,” says Steve Van Kampen, lead singer of the feathered foursome. “It’s taken so long to put together, by this time were just glad to see it’s done.”


Beija Flor has solidified their place in the Calgary scene with a unique style of experimental rock that leans toward the darker side of the spectrum. The new album, the quiet and lonely one, is a project two years in the making.


“There is something for everyone on the album, it is really diverse. If you have an open mind you’re really going to like it, if you don’t, you won’t.”


With the current state of popular music, Van Kampen thinks music like that of Beija Flor is exactly what people are hungry for.


“I like to think that people have seen the suburban spoiled-brat punk bands enough times to want to see someone do something a little more artsy,” he says, and although he doesn’t abandon his punk-rock roots completely, Steve feels it’s time to mature and branch out.


“I’ll always appreciate punk-rock, true punk-rock. But I do think it’s time for people to start getting into new music. It seems like [all those punk bands] are still playing the same old California-pop-punk thing. Or they are doing throw-back music like doing stuff like Iggy pop back in the day. Nobody is creating anything new. I don’t think that guitar-rock is dead, people just need to try something new,” he explains.


And it’s from new music that Beija Flor draw their inspiration.
“We’re into artists that are really pushing the envelope, sometimes to the point that people can’t even stand it. Stuff like that all vocal Bjork album. Stuff like that. She’s doing something different yet still accessible. That’s what were trying to do. Trying to do something different yet accessible; something you can dance to, something you can sing along to and understand, but that won’t bore people to tears.”


Anyone who has seen Beija Flor perform live knows the show is not just a group of four guys in tight clothes rocking out. They encompass a multi-sensory approach to their music but utilize different lighting effect that Van Kampen feels is as much a part of their music as the instruments they choose.


However, it’s a fine line to walk between ambitious and pompous. So by taking a minimalist approach to their lighting, Van Kampen feels they can convey the sincerity behind their motives and not come off as pretentious.


“First of all we don’t have any pyrotechiques. We’re not a Kiss concert,” he says.


Like many aspects of their music, Beija Flor decided to create music as a reaction to their old tastes.


“When you’re playing in the punk-rock circuit, there is no lighting, no mood. A lot of times you’re playing in a well-lit hall and there is no lighting system, but when you go see a world-class band like Radiohead, they put millions of dollars in a light show and it really does encompass the mood of the music. We think that music is not supposed to be audio but visual as well. We had to do something that’s visual, but something that’s visual and not cheesy. So we didn’t go out and buy some Mcquad lighting set that you can preprogram to your music. We wanted to do it so that it matches the tempo, the mood and the show that we are playing, he says. “It really helped us and helps the crowd get into the show.”


With no one in the group having any electronic background, they had to MacGyver the best set-up they could.


“It’s probably a fire hazard,” says Steve while laughing. “And every time we have to do a show I find something new about it, like this part doesn’t work and this part is too hard. Before we had to choreograph the lights between everybody in the band and it became too much of a problem that it wasn’t worth it. So we decided that one person had to be responsible for it and that’s how we got to where we are now.


Like the music, their lights are constantly evolving, but, as with anything new, it is always trial and error.


“We played a show at the Ship and I had built this box that seemed really sturdy at the time. It had wheels on it and everything, but at the end of the show on the way out, the thing completely fell apart.” - BeatRoute Magazine