I’m writing about Canadiana and that quest for “National Identity” … Or at least that’s what I tell Bahamas’ Afie Jurvenen in the awkward first moments of our conversation. And we talked about that but about so much more too. Mostly, we talked about love. And Toronto. And music … and Toronto.

We talked about the elusive quest for what it means to be Canadian. And I had to gush a little. I love Barchords. It’s easily one of my favourite albums of the first half of the year. So we talked about that a bit…

Michelle: It feels like a little secret…

Afie: I hope it doesn’t stay a secret for too long. I suppose there’s some truth to that yeah. When you put something like that into the world it’s an acknowledgement of a secret.

M: So talk me through your creative process. Are you a ritualistic writer?

A: It’s sort of ongoing. I just write songs whenever I can, really. If a little spark of something comes to me I just try and be open to it. And to make time for it. I find that the biggest challenge, making time and giving yourself room for something like that to happen. I’m always writing all the time. It’s a little more difficult when you’re travelling all the time because when you have a free moment you just want to be sleeping. But when I’m home it’s part of my routine, I wake up in the morning and drink coffee and usually pick up the guitar after that.