WATCH AND SHARE “HEAVEN” ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE HERE
WATCH AND SHARE “IT’S TOO QUIET” ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE HERE
MORE TOUR DATES SUPPORTING SHAKEY GRAVES ADDED TO 2022
TOUR DATES BEGIN MARCH 2, 2022
"It's a perfect end-of-year song, the kind that makes you reflect deeply and contemplate all the ways you can evolve as you greet a new year" - CBC Music
"a delicate, pulsing new track" - Exclaim!
LISTEN TO BEGONIA CHAT WITH TOM POWER ON CBC q ABOUT “HEAVEN”
(Video Still)
This Spring, Begonia (Alexa Dirks) will return to life on the road for a run of dates in the US beginning March 2, 2022 before returning to Canada supporting Shakey Graves in May. Full tour dates can be found below.
Recently, Begonia shared the new single “Heaven”, a track that finds beauty in the unknown. Today, the celebrated artist is sharing two new live performance videos for “Heaven” and “It’s Too Quiet”, joined by Heather Thomas (Diaphanie), Fontine, Gabi Ocejo, Leith Ross, and Snackie.
“For these videos I really wanted to break this song down,” says Dirks. “I had a vision of us living in a world of clouds but in the style of a community theatre production, haha. I enlisted some of my favourite musicians / people to make this vision a reality. I don't often interpret my songs in this way and I really love the vulnerability that this version provides. Nothing to hide behind, and it just gets down to the purity of the song. Harmonizing and singing with others is one of the most soul nourishing things IN THE WORLD and I admire and love all these people sooo much. They are all so talented and have their own respective projects, so please check them out!”
WATCH AND SHARE “HEAVEN” ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE HERE
WATCH AND SHARE “IT’S TOO QUIET” ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE HERE
MORE ABOUT BEGONIA
As Begonia, Alexa Dirks is bold, brazen with her florid, surprising pop that is tempered with sensitivity and wisdom. In her music, Begonia leans hard into a sense of arrival. 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.
Her debut LP, Fear, was nominated for a JUNO Award for Adult Alternative Album Of The Year and was longlisted for The Polaris Music Prize. It was one of Exclaim!’s Most Underrated Albums of the Year, made end of the year lists from CBC Music and Dominionated, and saw both “Beats” and “Hanging On A Line” named as CBC Music Top 20 Fan Favourites of the year. Fear also spent 10 straight weeks as the #1 album in Canada on Earshot’s Top 50 chart.
WATCH AND SHARE “HEAVEN” (OFFICIAL VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “HEAVEN” HERE
Fear was written and co-produced with a familiar team of Matt Schellenberg (Royal Canoe) and Matt Peters (Royal Canoe) along with Marcus Paquin (The National, Arcade Fire, Local Natives).
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 synth-pop meets old soul and scrappy meets sexy."
2022 TOUR DATES
Mar 2 - Fargo, ND @ The Hall at Fargo Brewing Co
Mar 3 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Mar 6 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
Mar 10 - New York, NY @ Elsewhere Zone One
Mar 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
Mar 12 - Washington, DC @ Pie Shop
Mar 14 - Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr
Mar 15 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Mar 20 - Hot Springs, AR @ Valley of the Vapors Festival
May 2 - Vancouver, BC @ Opheum %
May 6 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall %
May 7 - Edmonton, AB - Winspear Centre %
May 8 - Saskatoon, SK - Coors Event Centre %
May 11 - Toronto, ON - History %
May 12 - Montreal, QC - MTelus %
May 13 - Ottawa, ON - Bronson Centre %
% with Shakey Graves
Photo Credit : Calvin Lee Joseph // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
PRAISE FOR FEAR
“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
“...searing and dignified” - NPR Music
"...a complex, powerhouse synth-soul that hangs on one of Canada’s most
extraordinary voices." - Line Of Best Fit
"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