Music

First Play Live: Bonjay, Lush Life

Bonjay debuts songs from the duo's new album.
Bonjay debut songs from their new album Lush Life in a First Play Live session. (CBC Music)

Bonjay's new album Lush Life comes out this Friday, May 25. The new album is heavily influenced by the idea of how we live in cities, and the band put out a statement via Tumblr that is so beautiful, it's worth republishing:

Cities are humankind's greatest creation. Their only reason for existence is to bring us closer together. To create. To intersect. To love. Why else would we put up with the excess, the crowds, the trials and the tribulations? Because cities feed our need for human connection. Those who would never otherwise meet become inseparable. Cities are a dream world. Because in pursuit our dreams, the city emerges in our collective image.

A city's most profound power lies in its ability to make new ideas real. Cities hoover up ambition from all over. Yearning artists and scientists, immigrants and students, writers and entrepreneurs — impresarios of all motivations and hues. The details change but the stories remain forever the same: the struggle to convince others of a vision they can't yet see. The crushing failures on the path to success. Summoning the strength to persevere. Seeking someone to love, and finding someone who loves you. The fight to keep ambition from eating away at your passion.

There's a lot that happens on the way to making new things. These are the stories
Lush Life tells.

     — Bonjay

Several years have passed since Ian Swain and Alanna Stuart released their EP Broughtupsy, but the time has obviously been well spent by these inspired artists. Check out the dancehall-inspired soul of Bonjay below.

Bonjay | Chelsea | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 4:48
Bonjay perform 'Chelsea' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Ingenue | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:10
Bonjay perform 'Ingenue' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | How Come | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:54
Bonjay perform 'How Come' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Post-Urban | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:54
Bonjay perform 'Post-Urban' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Medicine for Melancholy | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:41
Bonjay perform 'Medicine for Melancholy' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Emoticon Panopticon | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 4:02
Bonjay perform 'Emoticon Panopticon' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Stumble | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:45
Bonjay perform 'Stumble' for CBC Music First Play Live.

Bonjay | Gimme Gimme | First Play Live

7 years ago
Duration 3:59
Bonjay perform 'GImme Gimme' for CBC Music First Play Live.