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Ohbijou

Before Ohbijou even began writing what would become its third full-length album, Metal Meets, the band decided it would take its time with this particular record. The Toronto indie pop outfit had toured hard and long in support of its shimmering sophomore album, 2009’s Beacons, and was looking to relish in the creative process of making an album.
   
"That was definitely something we considered before doing it — we really wanted to find a way to bring ourselves out of our comfort zone," says frontwoman Casey Mecija, 30, over the phone from a gas station in P.E.I.
   
Part of that meant getting out of the city. Ohbijou — which is rounded out by Jenny Mecija (Casey’s sister), James Bunton, Ryan Carley, Anissa Hart and Heather Kirby — wrote Metal Meets over four week-long sessions in a cottage on Bruce Peninsula’s bucolic Dyers Bay.
   
"We did that proverbial ‘band retreat’ thing," Mecija says with a laugh. "It was really positive. We were really able to pay close attention to the arrangements.
   
"I think we all wanted to try to figure out ways we could all contribute as players in different ways," she adds. "For some of us, that meant incorporating new effects and reverb and delay. We wanted to create unique environments for our songs without straying too far away from the Ohbijou sound."
   
After weeks spent writing, arranging and demoing, the band headed to Montreal to record Metal Meets with producer/Besnard Lakes frontman Jace Lasek at his renowned Breakglass Studio (Wolf Parade, Holy Fuck, Islands and many more).
   
"We did a lot of pre-production so we had an idea for what we wanted the record to sound like," Mecija says. "The biggest surprise was the relationship that blossomed with Jace. He’s so nice and so skilled and with him at the helm, we felt like he was the perfect person for this project."
   
Those hours of pre-production and the fruitful working relationship with Lasek yielded Ohbijou’s most masterful work to date. Metal Meets is a lush, orchestral pop opus defined by cinematic, reverb-soaked soundscapes and Mecija’s airy, cotton-candy vocals. Best of all, it’s expertly crafted without sounding overwrought.
   
"It feels like our hard work manifested," Mecija says of the album. "We have this finished product we’re proud to share with other people."
   
Indeed, Ohbijou’s hard work paid off. Metal Meets benefitted from the time spent on it — but the band’s years of experience also account for the album’s grace and maturity.
   
"I think we’re able to reimagine and rearticulate emotions in a new way," Mecija says. "I think that shows just how much we’ve grown as musicians and writers."
 

OHBIJOU
Nov. 12, 8 p.m., West End Cultural Centre
w/ Snowblink