WATCH AND SHARE “FEAR” HERE
FEAR, OUT NOW VIA REX BABY RECORDS / THE ORCHARD
BUY / STREAM FEAR HERE
“With its twin-helix bind of sharp pop and warm soul, Fear positions Winnipeg's Begonia (Alexa Dirks) as a powerhouse on the Prairies.” - Exclaim!
“Fear is the opposite of all its name implies: confident, bold, and blossoming with subtlety and intelligence.” - Dominionated
“...Fear still manages to make you feel like you've been let in on pop's best-kept secret. But, not for long. 2019 might have refreshed our memory of Dirks' vast capabilities, but 2020 will hopefully deliver her the global recognition she deserves.” - CBC Music
“Fear” Video Still
Today, Begonia (Alexa Dirks) is sharing the eerie new video for the title track from her Polaris Music Prize long-listed album, Fear (Rex Baby Records / The Orchard). Director Ryan Steel, who also directed “Hanging On A Line”, says, “Alexa and I met to discuss the song and she brought up the idea that she would be in a dark theatre with spotlights turning on. I spent a week watching Twin Peaks and in between each episode I would listen to the song around ten times when the rest came to me.”
“I didn't want to make a video that was just like things popping out and me and me being afraid of the things exactly as I had listed them in the song. I wanted something that was more mysterious, open ended, and a bit uncomfortable so as to match the energy of how I was feeling when I wrote it.”
WATCH AND SHARE “FEAR” HERE
MORE ABOUT FEAR
Fear, was chosen as one of Exclaim!’s Most Underrated Albums of the Year, made end of the year lists from CBC Music and Dominionated, saw both “Beats” and “Hanging On A Line” named as CBC Music Top 20 Fan Favourites of the year, and spent 10 straight weeks as the #1 album in the country on Earshot’s Top 50 chart.
WATCH AND SHARE “HANGING ON A LINE” HERE
As Begonia, Alexa Dirks is bold, brazen with her florid, surprising pop that is tempered with sensitivity and wisdom. On the LP, Begonia leans hard into a sense of arrival. She wrote and co-produced the record with a familiar team of Matt Schellenberg (Royal Canoe) and Matt Peters (Royal Canoe) along with Marcus Paquin (The National, Arcade Fire, Local Natives).
Whether it’s learning to come into her own or processing a brutal heartbreak, Dirks’ intimate lyrics and audacious sound allows for her audience to relate to the messiness of life with an honesty that is refreshing.
Dirks' first solo EP, Lady in Mind, was well-received, being listed on NPR’s 10 Artists You Need To Know in 2017 and single “Juniper” reached #1 on the CBC Radio 2 Top 20. Noisey wrote that, “Begonia has one of Canada’s most extraordinary voices, and thankfully she uses it to obliterate the misery from this world one live performance at a time.” NPR wrote that Begonia is “the place where where synth-pop meets old soul and scrappy meets sexy."
WATCH CBC’S FIRST PLAY LIVE HERE
BUY / STREAM FEAR HERE
Photo Credit : Maya Fuhr // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
MORE PRAISE FOR BEGONIA
“...searing and dignified” - NPR Music
"...a complex, powerhouse synth-soul that hangs on one of Canada’s most extraordinary voices." - Line Of Best Fit
“The woman has, you would say, presence to spare. When she opens her mouth to sing it's like, ‘What just happened?’” - Exclaim!
"an audacious adventure in modern soul, with gospel inspirations and updated takes on finger-snapping Motown pop and late 20th-century R&B." - Globe & Mail
“With her showstopping voice, Dirks blends acoustics and synths for her own brand of gospel.” - CBC Music