Adrian Chalifour wasn’t sure what becoming a father would mean for him as an artist.
Chalifour, founding front man for Victoria indie band Towers and Trees, said musicians getting “real jobs” after having kids is the “classic story.” But since his daughter was born two and a half years ago, Chalifour said he’s even more motivated to commit to his art. He said his job is to try to be the best version of himself, because that’s what he wants for his daughter.
“I am an artist and I am a musician and so if I’m serious about making time in my life for this, I should be doing everything I can, I should be taking risks I haven’t taken before, I should be thinking outside the box, I should be doing everything I can just to be the fullest artist I can be,” he said.
At that time Towers and Trees had gone on hiatus, with the intention of coming back to make their next record, Joy. However, Chalifour said it was clear early in that process that the group’s “inherent tension” between Chalifour as sole songwriter and the rest of the group had intensified to the point where they decided it would be best to break up the band. In the fall Chalifour is releasing Joy under his own name.
“By the time that decision was put on the table it was a relatively easy one and it was one that they were all willing to support and I’m grateful…” he said of leaving the band. “We started making this as a Towers and Trees record and they basically have given me the leash to try and push this thing out and do the best and the most that I can with it because I care a lot about these songs.”
This spring Chalifour, who performs at the Vault in Nanaimo on Aug. 24, released the video for the CD’s first single, The Dark. He calls it “a trip down memory lane” and the video opens with a dedication to everyone who’s supported Towers and Trees.
“It’s paying homage to seven years of Towers and Trees and I wanted to use that song, The Dark, to do that because that song is about stepping into big, scary changes and finding the courage to do that,” he said.
WHAT’S ON … Adrian Chalifour plays the Vault, 499 Wallace St., on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 9 p.m. $10.
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