1.) The Introduction
Basia was introduced to me by my good friend Achsah Joseph. Actually, Achsah was certainly my best friend at the time of this wonderful introduction. She created a wonderful little mix-CD for my favorite made up holiday, Daffodil Day. The Pilgriming Vine was the second song on the CD (and the second song Basia played at her concert in Philly!) and will always be one of my favorites. Whenever I missed AQ during my senior year (she had gone off to college) I would play that song, with 134 plays it is by far the most played of any of my Basia collection. There's nothing like daffodils in the spring time.
2.) Canadian
When I was young my family would always take summer vacations to Canada. My father had some sort of fascination with avoiding people and warm temperatures at all costs. Every August for 7 or 8 years we would take off in the station wagon or the Jetta and spend a few weeks in Nova Scotia, Quebec, New Brunswick or some combination of those provinces. Because of these frequent trips I developed most of my cherished childhood memories in places such as Kouchibouguac and Kejimkujik national parks, St. Andrews in Nova Scotia, and the serene Milford House. How is this connected to Basia? I think the connection is subtle. No we didn't have strong connections to the music of the area beyond the Macmasters and A Taste of the Maritimes. I did develop a strong connection with the outdoors and the sea (not to mention the poutine), many of Basia's songs deal with nature and Canada's beautiful landscapes which I I myself fell in love with as a child.
3.) Oh, My Darling
"We swam in the river, and sang with the birds. Gave away our hearts before we knew what they were." - I Was a Daughter
I'm not going to pretend I know exactly what Basia means by this, but it sounds eerily familiar to my dreamy summer romance. In fact Oh, My Darling was more or less a soundtrack to what was undoubtedly my favorite summer in recent memory. The album is just filled with genuine heartbreaking love songs that I've always been able to connect to personally (especially once the summer ended and it was time to head west). Oh, My Darling is everything I could ever want to express about that period of my life.
4.) Basia
All of this is without mentioning Basia herself. She has deep hallowing vocals, plays instruments ranging from the ukulele to the autoharp, and connects to all the music she performs. When you listen to Basia you get the feeling that she is just singing her heart out every time. She tours all the time and rarely charges ticket prices over $10. Her band includes her brother, "Allison Wonderland", and "Holly Rancher" (who pens her own fantastic blog). They drive across continents in a van together and play in beautiful little venues (mostly churches). I had the pleasure of meeting Basia at in Philadelphia, she was very personable and accessible, it was a real pleasure. Just seeing Basia is enough to make you smile.
I hope this clears up the reason for Basiacentricity here on UVPig. Don't forget to buy Heart of My Own and see Basia play for free at Summerstage August 1st in Central Park NY!
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